The Supernatural Hunter
by Hanta Saka
Summary: When a Hunter and his Ghost enter the Vault of Glass, they are forced into a Vex gate. Along the way, they somehow end up in the world of the Supernatural. Can this Hunter deal with Devils, Fallen Angels, and Angels? Watch as he awakens to his true self as he stands beside a certain Black Cat. Rated M for language and (possibly) suggestive themes. On Hiatus.
1. Chapter 1

Tomorrow, I will be removing the Devil's Hunter. It will be replaced by this story, so do not worry too much. At first, it may seem like a new story, but I will keep it close to the original. I am altering many, many things however. For instance, Saka will be given his birth hair and eye colors.

Also, the reason why I put a world built off sci-fi and supernatural together are a few things. The first is that a war had happened in both, reducing the main race's numbers to a fraction of what they once were. The second reason is that they are both trying to rebuild their numbers. Only issue is that Guardians are Human, so they have to reproduce the normal way as Devils merely reincarnate Humans. And finally... because I though it would be fun.

Chapter 1: The Time Traveling Hunter

* * *

The vault of glass, an area filled to the brim with Vex technology and the murderous robots with weaponry that bends the laws of time and space.

A single Hunter wearing Vex plating for armor was in its deepest depths, the room where the Conflux of Time resides. His cloak was known to many as the 'Kellhunter's Hood' as it had the symbol of the dreaded Fallen House of Wolves on the back with red clothe everywhere else. Of his armor, it was all white while he wore the 'Mask of the Third Man' helmet to help channel his Arc power.

He chose to venture deep into the Vault of Glass long after a team of Guardians had cleaned it of Vex that live in its ruins for the week, along with the one that controls that very power of time, Atheon, just to study its technology to further the Human race, increase their power against their foes, and to spite the Vex for what they have done to him.

He went to the enormous glass pillars that floated in the back. His Ghost, a default colored Ghost, came out and began scanning the glass for what they were looking for.

"I'm picking up readings of the mineral here somewhere… the only question is where…" He would then scan ever pillar of the glass like material as his Hunter went to the piles of broken Vex. He dug through it to find anything helpful.

Vex eye? No. Vex arm? No. Vex gun? … possibly. He took it and examined every inch of it. Broken scope, busted clip, no trigger, cracks along the entire casing, and even missing circuits.

At least it was scrap for his own weapons he could use.

"Hey, I think I found it!" His Ghost yelled for him as he took the piece of scrap metal with him. He came to the side of his partner in crime as he looked inside the glass, seeing just what he was looking for.

He took out a knife as he cut through the glass, grabbing the mineral he was looking for. IT was a mineral that allowed the Vex to bend space and time, the same one used for their hearts.

"Now that we found that, was there anything good among their remains?" His Ghost was looking at him with curious blinking.

"Nothing. Everything is broken. Only thing worthwhile was a busted gun I could use to fix my others. Come on, let's try to use their gate to get us out of here." He went down the stairs that the Vex formed and towards one of the gates as his Ghost began configuring it.

"So… it's been what? 6 months now?"

"Yeah… not a day goes by that I don't regret not being able to do anything to save them, only them saving me."

"You're actually talking about it now instead of lashing out at me?"

"Yeah, I needed to get over it since the Venus mission. If they were still with me, they would want me to move on." He took out one of his guns, the Invective, as he took out a clothe to begin cleaning it from the Vex he killed to get inside. Ghost was halfway through the calibration as his radars picked something up.

"We've got trouble!" Vex teleportation clouds began popping up in the middle of room as the Ghost dissipates back to his Guardian and the Hunter put away the shotgun as he pulled out his Last Word and an Arcbolt grenade. From the cloud came only the simple Vex, Goblins, Hobgoblins, and Harpy's.

He threw the grenade as it scanned the area around the impact, and sent out a bolt of lightning that hurt the Vex. He took aim with his gun and fired directly into the eyes of the Harpy's, killing them quick as they are only strong in numbers.

The other two forms took notice of his presence and began shooting at him. He hid behind one of the pillars on the side of the gate as waited for an opening to shoot back. A Hobgoblin formed a Void grenade in its hand as it threw it to the Hunter. He saw the grenade and immediately ran out from his cover.

The Vex began shooting at him as he had to dodge their bullets, but he would then send in bullets of his own directly into their cores. He shot each one in the core, but the Hobgoblins had somehow come up with the plan of standing in front and releasing their wave of Solar power that negates all damage, protecting the Goblins from behind.

"Any luck on the calibrations?!" He had to keep running to avoid their attacks as he could only strike back in short periods of time.

'Almost, I'm at 87% for the calibration. I could launch the gate now, but we'll end up at a random position outside the Vault, possibly even Mercury.' The Hunter began contemplating if they should wait any longer, but then another cloud had appeared, only it was much, much bigger.

From it, came the dreaded Conflux of Time, Atheon, who should be dead for the next few hours before the weekly regenerator kicked in for the Vault. Atheon only had to look at the smaller Vex shooting at the Hunter to immediately take aim with his own gun and shoot massive Void blasts at him.

"Launch the gate! Launch the gate!" He ran back to the gate as Atheon began channeling the power of time. The gate opened as he leaped towards it, Atheon mere seconds away from sending him away. He made it through however right as the massive Vex completed charging.

The Hunter gave a sigh of relief as he was inside a Vex wormhole. Plenty of other Guardians, including the brightest Warlock's would travel inside of one and come out pitch perfect. This… was not one.

The mineral he took suddenly erupted from his pocket as it began changing colors. Solar orange, Void purple, and Arc blue. The wormhole itself began adopting those colors.

"Ghost, is this supposed to happen?"

'I have no idea.' The exit of the wormhole came quickly as he left it, falling face first into solid ground. Thankfully, it was also mushy ground, so it must've been either mud, or a weak soil. He pushed himself up to see the glory of grass, something not anywhere near Vex territory as trees were visible as far as the eye could see.

"Well, better here than with Atheon." He dusted himself off as he began to try and get his bearings, seeing nothing of a landmark he could use. "Think you can get a scan on where we are at the moment? I don't feel the heat from the blue lava from Venus here, so I want to say Earth."

'Let me check.' His Ghost then came out as it began scanning the area around them. They remained there for a few seconds as his Ghost came back. "From what I can tell, it is Earth. But… we've got a problem…"

"What? Are we deep inside of Fallen Territory?"

"No… much worse. We're currently in Japan, twentieth century. We just became time travelers." Ghost turned to look at his Hunter who merely raised his hand to where his chin would be in his helmet.

"Hmm… you would think that should put some pride in a person… but I'm not feeling it."

"Figured. Right now, the closest town is… wait, our records about this area are far off. I need to shift into using this time period's network." He then waited a second as his light then flashed. "Done. Alright, we're near a town called Kuoh, but I'll need to hide and you need to remove your armor if we are to fit in. Also, without the ship anywhere within reach for us, we don't have a home or base. We're going to need to buy an apartment or house."

"Shit, really? You said we were in Japan, right? Since I don't have a single piece of Yen on me. Only Glimmer."

"Don't worry, I can transmute 1 piece of glimmer into 1,000 Yen digitally due to Glimmer being a programmable substance. So if we multiply the 25,000 Glimmer we have in inventory…

"We have about 25,000,000 Yen… well hot damn that's a lot. I think we might be able to afford a house with that much. You just need to give me records in the system, and we're set."

"True. And if it comes down to it, I would be able to transmute any scrap metal in more."

"Alright. Start inputting any records I need to be a legal citizen into the system as I find a place to spend the night. Before we move…" He reached behind him and pulled out a katana with a red blade and blue handle from a purple sheath, looking in pristine condition. "Good, I don't want to lose this."

"Alright, get a decent understanding of the area as I create the records. Do you want to be registered as 18, or 518?"

"18, Ghost. 518 will make people think I use my imagination too much." Ghost then disappeared into his mind as he then noticed something on his radar. Enemy movement with the intent to kill. "Ghost-"

'I see it too. Something near us is ready to kill anyone or anything close to it. We'd better take it out before a Human is hurt.' The Hunter nodded as he ran to the source of the movement. It began appearing more accurately on his radar as he entered a clearing. He took a single step to feel his boot sink into the ground, only a copper like scent somehow came through his helmet.

He begins to worry for the worst and looks around the clearing, seeing only a tree that seems far too unhealthy to even live as it didn't even have a leaf on it.

"Ghost, can you try to make an estimate of any possible Human killings here?"

'I can, but be careful. I don't think that tree is normal. Last thing we need is a surprise attack from Mother Nature.'

"I know that Ghost… just why is this tree a registered enemy? Unless there is something in the-" Before he could finish his sentence, the tree turns around and reveals to have multiple human faces imbedded in it and a branch from above coming down. The Hunter quickly Blinks out of the way as he looks back at what he just saw.

'Ok, that is a new one. We better kill it before someone is hurt in this time.'

"I've got that covered!" He then pulled out his Invective as he took aim and shot. The tree seemed to yell in pain, considering Invective shoots incendiary Solar bullets, it should. The Hunter threw a knife at it as the tree caught fire, but the knife didn't move.

He channeled Solar power through a hidden string he has attached to each of his knives of the tree burned even quicker. IT was then the Hunter realized that the tree is dying faster than it should be. He didn't want to question anything so he shot off the roots from its base, completely immobilizing it as he sent Solar power to his right arm. A burst of fire came out as the Golden Gun had formed. He jumped on top of the tree and took aim.

"You're… a Sacred Gear user…"

'It speaks?!'

"What the hell is a Sacred Gear?" He set his foot ablaze to force the answer out from the tree. Monster. Thing.

"N…never…"

"Then those will be your parting words from this world." He pulls the trigger as a bullet of condensed fire pierces its trunk, as it begins burning into ashes. Once the fire stopped, it revealed the Hunter to be standing firm, still engulfed in his fire and his Golden Gun still in hand, with some slight purple in his fingertips. "Ghost, search up Sacred Gears in any database you can access. Whatever those things are, that thing mistook Golden Gun for one."

'Alright, I'll get on it. Also, I'm picking up five Humans dead in this area. It killed a few, so the ground is currently soaked in their blood.'

"Well, may their souls rest in peace as I have avenged them. Now we have to pass the night as we wait for you to finish the records. I think nature wants me dead now- wait what?" He disabled his flames with Golden Gun as he bends down and picks something he didn't expect.

He found four gray pawn chess pieces. "And scan these I guess when we have the time."

'Why would there be chess pieces? That's the last thing we would expect anything to drop upon its death, but alright, I'll scan them eventually.'

"Alright, than let's go before someone comes." He took the pieces with him as he then began walking away from the scene. Unknown to him, two people wearing robes had just seen his fight.

"Was that… really Saka?" The first one seemed smaller than the other.

"Interesting… so that is the Hunter you spoke of with a low amount of respect. He truly seems interesting." The taller figure then turned around and left as the smaller one followed behind.


	2. Chapter 2

I'm not going to bother with extra text on the header and footer until I write chapter 9. Deleting my progress was a complete mistake since I can honestly say screw some of my ideas.

Just remember, 2-4 will be altered slightly since word and the site lost those chapters. I will try my best to write them again, maybe some slightly improvements, or some slight mess ups, but I'll try my best to stick to how I did it previously.

Chapter 2: A Hunter in a new life

* * *

The sun was shining on the town of Kuoh below. Inside one of the many houses, still in their bed was a man. The blanket was covering his entire body as he had his arm dangling out of the side, showing his slightly pale skin.

The door to the room opened, and from it, a small kitten with black fur walked in. The kitten also had hazel eyes as it spotted his arm hanging from the bed. It moved towards the appendage that was hanging outside the sheets, approaching it as it then jumped onto the limb.

The cat used his limb as a ladder, climbing upwards and onto the bed. Once it arrived, it moved towards the top, towards his head. It stopped there and then entered the sheets with the man, snuggling itself against his face.

The man giggled slightly from the kitten's fur rubbing against his face as he shifted, placing his face against the pillow. It was obvious he did not want to wake up.

His alarm clock, however, had other ideas when the set alarm began emitting the loud ringing it usually does. He groaned slightly now, trying to use the pillow to shut out the noise as the kitten had grown irritated by the sound of it too, curling up and having its ears down to try and shut out the sound too.

Soon, the man grew annoyed of the device, raising his hand into the air and smacking it down on the alarm, shutting it off.

"Need to get rid of that thing…" He groaned before he began pushing himself up, letting the blanket fall off. His messy black hair stuck out in multiple locations while it was kept short as he rubbed his eyes. He looked to be 19 as he opened his eyelids to reveal emerald green eyes that were still groggy as he looked tired. His skin was also lightly pale. He was wearing black sleeping shorts and a white shirt.

This was Saka Hikari: Guardian, Hunter, Gunslinger, Bladedancer, Nightstalker, and a man born from the impossible. He raised his arms into the air, stretching them as they both gave an audible pop before they fell down to his sides.

"Ugh… least today is Friday." He looked down on the pillow to see his kitten curled up. He poked the small feline, causing it to curl up slightly more. "Kurai, come on. We both have to go."

"Nya…" She meowed quietly, not wanting to get up.

"You and I both, but I have work and you became the official animal mascot." He picked her up, holding her in his arms as he got out of the bed, revealing his thin, skinny form that had barely any muscle. He rubbed the top of her head, causing her to purr as he walked out of the room.

He entered his living room area, moving for his kitchen. He checked the time to see how long he has before nodding.

"Damn… 5 minutes isn't enough time."

"Oh, so our sleepyhead finally woke up?" Another voice spoke out. From behind, a small construct of Light appeared from behind, hovering over his shoulder.

"Quiet… if you were Human, you'd love sleep as much as I do."

"Whatever… so, what'd you like today?"

"Black pants with the Nightstalker shirt."

"Anything else?"

"No, that's enough for today." He looked at his Ghost before the construct nodded, covering him in light. When the light died down, he was wearing black pants and a purple shirt with the Nightstalker symbol on it. He adjusted the shirt slightly before he walked to the door.

He put on a pair of black boots that were nearby as the Ghost followed him, vanishing into his mind when he put the boots on. He walked out the door, placing Kurai on his shoulder before leaving.

 _Scene Transition…_

* * *

Saka was walking down the streets of Akihibara with his cat on his shoulder, causing many people to stare at him. He ignored their staring and walked calmly through any crowds he encountered like they didn't exist.

He kept walking until he turned to a building. The building was a café with the name 'Heaven's Wheel café' written on the front. He walked in through the door, and was immediately greeted by a young man wearing a butler outfit.

"Hello and welcome to Heaven's Wheel café!" He turned to face Saka before smiling. "Oh, it's just you."

"You don't have to say it like you're disappointed that I'm not a customer, Tatsu."

"I know, sorry. It's just that we're having a pretty fast day really early."

"I can tell." He looked over the café, seeing nearly all seats were filled and the waiters and waitresses were all scrambling across the café, either taking orders or delivering drinks.

"Yeah… anyways, please go get ready. We need as many workers as possible right now, since we know how crowded it gets later."

"Oh yeah." He then walked passed him and entered a door that said 'Employees only.' Inside, he went to a locker room and stood in front of a locker with his name on it, but also a sticky note below saying Kurai's name. He reached for the handle as the door opened.

"Oh, Saka!" From the door, what could be described as the most beautiful woman ever had entered. She had long, curly blonde hair and blue eyes that seemed as deep as the ocean. She had pearly white skin that didn't have any blemish or error anywhere. She had a figure that could put any and all supermodels to shame with how developed she was. A perfect hourglass figure, rather large breasts, and perfectly shaped hips.

She also spoke with a voice that could make any man, sometimes women, fall in love with her with just a single word. She was wearing a maid outfit with a badge over her chest saying 'Gabriel.'

"Yes?"

"I'm glad you're here! We're almost full on customer right now and could really use your help!"

"Yeah, I saw. Tatsu told me too when I got here. Just give me a minute so I can change."

"Thank you." She bowed at him before looking at his shoulder. She walked forwards as Kurai seemed to step back as far as possible on his shoulder. She then grabbed Kurai, the small kitten then trying to struggle to escape her as she held her close. "Oh, you brought Kurai too! I'm going to put her in her outfit too!"

Kurai's eyes widened, seemingly out of fear as she kept on struggling to escape. "Nya! Nya nya!" She meowed at Saka, seeming to beg for him to do something.

"… How about not today?"

"Huh?"

"Let's give Kurai a break for now. She doesn't really seem to like the outfit that much."

Gabriel looked at him, slightly saddened before nodding. She let go of Kurai the small kitten running back to her owner and nuzzling his leg. "Ok, but this means that I will make her a new outfit! One even cuter than before!"

"Nya?!" Kurai stopped her nuzzling and stepped back as Saka let out a nervous laugh.

"I'm… not sure if Kurai will like it. Maybe if we leave her alone today and see if people like that more, we'll decide on whether she needs a new outfit or not."

"That's a great idea!" Gabriel brightened up greatly when she heard his idea. "Thank you again Saka. Now please, do your best today!" She then turned around and left the room. Once the door was closed, he knelt down to his kitten and looked at her.

"You're welcome."

"Nya." She looked at him with a more happy expression as her tail was wagging happily too.

Saka let out a sigh as he opened his locker, smiling at its contents before he began removing his clothing and switching outfits.

 _Scene Transition…_

* * *

A customer sitting at one of the tables looked very displeased and angry at the moment with the lack of… anything in front of him. Beside him was a girl in a penguin suit who seemed to be panicking slightly.

"I ordered nearly half an hour ago! What's taking so long!?"

"I'm sorry sir, but I don't know what's taking so long!"

"Well, if I don't get my order in the next 5 minutes, I'm leaving!"

"No need for that, sir. Here you go." Saka's voice spoke out from the side, both turning to see him. He was wearing very light brown, baggy pants along with a white shirt that was beneath a green tunic. He had a brown belt around his waist as he had brown gloves that left his fingers exposed while a blue clothe was wrapped around the gloves. He also had a green cap hanging from his head while Kurai was on his shoulder and he had a tray of food in his hand.

He took the food off the tray and placed it infront of the customer. The customer no longer looked angry. "Finally, it's about time." He turned towards his food and began eating it as the waitress turned towards Saka.

"Thank you, Saka."

"No problem."

"Saka! Can I get some help?" Another waitress nearby called for him. He waved at the one in front of him before leaving her and going to another waitress who was wearing a bear suit.

"You call?"

"I'm… having a bit of an issue with this customer…" She pointed at the table to the side as he turned.

The customer pulled up the menu, pointed towards an omelet with hashbrowns, pointing at the hashbrowns while shaking his head, turning it over to the drinks section and pointed at coffee, pointing at the light and then raised three fingers and pointed at the middle one.

"The omelet hashbrown special, minus the hashbrowns. Then you want light coffee with medium cream? That right?"

The man nodded as Saka quickly wrote it down. He peeled the order off his pad and handed it to the girl.

Thank you Saka! You're a life saver!" She turned around and walked to the kitchen.

"Nya."

"Hm?"

"Nya."

"You're hungry?"

"Nya."

"Here…" He knelt down and placed Kurai on the ground. She ran off towards the employees changing room as he sighed.

"Hey, Saka! Think you can help for a second?" This time one of the cooks called for him. He walked over to him as the cook picked up a pot of sauce. "I was hoping you could tell me if anything is wrong with the sauce. I tried making a new one to see what the customers might think of it."

"Really?" He reached to the side and grabbed a toothpick and dipped it into the sauce, pulling it up and placing it in his mouth. He pulled the toothpick out as he placed a hand to his chin. "Hm… I have to say you've got the right texture, but the taste is a little off. Try adding some spice."

"Alright, thanks." He turned around and went to do his suggestion.

"Saka! Can I get some help?"

He sighed lightly as he began walking. "Sometimes I question why I'm not asking for a raise…"

 _Time Transition…_

* * *

He was in the kitchen, washing the dishes as most people already left. In front, Gabriel was wiping the tables. He took the last dish out of the sink and put it away, looking up at her.

"Hey, I'm going to change then head home. Good luck with closing everything else down."

"Can I speak to you after you change? I need to ask you something."

"Sure, just give me a minute." He left the kitchen and went for the changing room. Once inside, he pulled his cap off and took a deep breath, quickly pulling the shirt off to reveal his sweat covered torso. "Holy crud this thing is hot…"

"Nya?" Kurai appeared from beside his locker, a bowl of cream milk behind her along with some milk hanging to the front of her fur and her whiskers. He looked at her, panting slightly as he wiped the sweat off him.

"Remind me to never wear thick clothing outside winter… You or him."

"Nya."

'Noted.'

He huffed as he began pulling his outfit off, switching to his clothes before kneeling down and picking up Kurai. He placed her on his shoulder and left the room. In the main room, Gabriel was sitting at one of the tables, she also seemed to have two papers in front of her.

"Alright, so, what do you want to ask?"

"Well, it's actually things… First, I want your opinion about these." She picked up the papers in front of her, holding them in front and show them to Saka. One was a small fox outfit that seemed to have black fur and a white chest. The other was a small waitress outfit. Both also seemed to be the size of a kitten.

"..." Saka raised his hand to his mouth, covering it to stifle his snickering. Gabriel looked at him with a hurt expression, looking at the pictures.

"Are they… really that bad?"

"No, oh heavens no… it's just… I can't help but laugh at the thought of Kurai in the fox outfit. It's both funny and adorable."

"Nya?!"

"I'm sorry, Kurai… but I can only find it funny if you were to wear that outfit." He coughed slightly before putting his attention back on Gabriel. "Anyways, the fox one. It would look more adorable on her."

"Aww… I was hoping for the waitress one… but, she's your kitten." She put the pictures away before turning to him and locking their eyes. He looked a bit confused, his foot sliding back slightly. "I'm sure you also heard from many of the employees here. About how I take them all out on a date to get to know my employees better."

"I've… heard the rumors. Some customers would also speak about how they see you with one of the employees nearly every Saturday."

"Well, I've been meaning to ask if you would be able to go on one with me so I can get to know one of my most helpful employees better."

"Oh… well… uh… I…" He could only mumble as he tried to come up with an excuse. His pocket began vibrating and the sound of a ringtone came out from it, making them both jump. "Hold on for a moment, please." He took the phone out and answered it.

 _"_ _I'm giving you a good excuse to leave, right now. I don't know if she can hear me right now, but take the opportunity and say something like you have an appointment coming up right now for an excuse to leave."_ Ghost's voice came out from the other end, dropping the call right there.

"…Sorry Gabriel, but that… was my doctor. He called me and told me that I'm going to be late for my appointment if I don't hurry."

"O-Oh. I… I guess I'll get your reply later. Please go before you're late."

"Thanks, and sorry." He turned and moved for the door, opening and leaving the café as she walked up to the window. She watched his form running off down the street as she frowned.

"… He lied. His light feels so strong… I want to turn him into an Angel, a powerful one with his light… maybe he only had to do it to leave…" She saw his form disappear from her sight as a small white circle appeared beside her ear. "Yes? … Oh! Brother Michael! … You want me to return? … Yes, I'm on my way."

She stepped away from the window, heading towards her office as she entered. Seconds later, a blinding light erupted from within, shining off through the cracks of the door before vanishing.

 _Scene Transition…_

* * *

"That… that didn't really feel right, Ghost. Lying to her just because of what's happened to me in the past? The felt like the rudest thing I ever did."

'You would have said something earlier about how you believe you have a curse that kills any women who gets close to you.'

"That's! … somewhat true…"

'Look… you need to get over this fear of yours. You are a Hunter, the Hunter of Light and an impossible child. One day, you will have to overcome this fear if you are to ever settle down with a woman.'

"…that… that can never happen. My lifespan is too long for a Human woman to match with me… she'd die very early on in my life as I can only stand there, watching whatever children we have die years later, then grandkids, great grandkids, and so on… I'd never be able to be with a woman since I know I will outlive her, and my own descendants. Light has been there since the beginning… and it makes up half my genetic structure, half my body… The only chance of me ever getting with a woman would be if she has a lifespan to match mine… one to match an eternity."

'… you sound… sad… depressed even about that.'

"You think about it… having to live for so long… the only way to prevent me from ever having heart breaking moments like that, the only way to keep myself sane… would be to never love."

"Nya?" Kurai looked at him, concerned. If a kitten can looked concerned that is. He gave off a small chuckle as he walked through a park.

"Don't worry about it… I'm just… facing my reality…"

'No matter what, despite any and all measures you take… one day… you will fall in love. When that day comes, I just hope you'll be ready.'

"I hope so too, Ghost… I hope so too…"

"Are you Saka Hikari?" A female voice spoke out to the Hunter, causing him to turn around and face them. It was a rather buxom woman who had long, navy hair that seemed to cover her right eye and brown eyes. She was wearing a violet trenchcoat-like top that had a large collar she seemed to use to reveal a scandalous amount of cleavage with a matching miniskirt that hugged her thighs. She had a pair of black, heeled shoes and a golden necklace around her neck.

He stared at her, having no recollection of meeting a woman with blue hair during his time here. Kurai hissed at her, in a manner as if her was hers, and hers alone and not willing to give him to a random person they just met.

"What if I am?"

"Do you not remember me? We were in the same high school class 2 years ago. Remember? Kalawarner Tenshi?"

"Kalawarner… Tenshi?" He looked at her confused before he gripped his head. Images had flooded his mind, fake memories he knew he never experienced in his past as Ghost managed to block them all from being implanted in his brain while his eyes flashed blue for a second.

'Careful. She has memory changing power like that we've never seen.'

"… Who the hell are you really?" He looked at her, eyes full of anger as she flinched when his gaze met her.

"Shit, are you immune to memory altering power?!"

"Memory… what?"

"Damn… doesn't matter." From her back, a pair of black, feathery wings emerged as he stepped back in surprise, eyes widening before quickly narrowing again. She flapped her wings and took the sky, the sky actually changing from the setting sun to a dark purple night. In her hand, a yellow speak made from particles of light formed. "Just means I won't have my fun when I kill you."

"Kill… me?" He looked at her, but she saw his confusion as an opportunity and threw the spear. He reacted by pulling Kurai off his shoulder and holding her close as he dove to the side, skidding slightly. He released his cat from his grip and pointed towards a nearby bush. "Run and hide until I take care of business."

She looked at him before running to the closest bush. He pushed himself up, focusing his attention on the girl as he calmly walked towards her. "So… can I get the name of my assailant?"

"You want my name? Fine, only so that you know the name of the Fallen Angel who killed you. I am Kalawarner."

'Fallen… Angel? As in the ones spoken in myths and legends? The ones in the holy scripts?'

"No time for questioning Ghost. I need armor, stat."

'Right!' He covered his Guardian in a bright light, his armor appearing around him as Kalawarner looked at him with widened eyes.

"Oh crap! You've got a Sacred Gear!" She then grit her teeth and created another spear. "This just means I have to kill you before you become a threat!" She then threw the spear. He reached behind and pulled out his sword, quickly cutting through the spear as if it was nothing.

She let out a surprised gasp from how easy he cut it before reaching to his hip and pulling out his Fatebringer. He took aim quickly and fired the gun, the bullet flying through the air and making impact with her leg. The bullet exploded on impact, causing her to scream out in pain from the blast.

He fired again, but she heard the hammer hitting the bullet. She flew to the side, avoiding the bullet as he kept his sights on her, pulling the trigger again. The bullet flew out of the barrel and at her, but she created another spear to then swipe the bullet, disintegrating it. Saka clicked his tongue from the loss of his bullet as he shot again.

She used her spear to disintegrate the bullet again before throwing it. He watched the spear fly through the air at him, switching his target and firing on the spear. The bullet broke the spear in a single hit, leaving a small explosion in the air for a second before turning into smoke.

She created two spears and threw them both. He flipped his sword into a reverse grip as he spun in a circular motion, cutting both spears into the particles they formed from as he fired his gun at her again. The bullet exploded on her stomach this time, damaging her flesh with black marks as she screamed again.

He put his gun back in the holster on his hip and pulled a knife out, flipping it quickly as he threw it at her. She saw the knife fly through the air, landing directly in her right elbow, causing her to scream again. She grabbed the knife and pulled it out of her arm, glaring at the Hunter in front of her. She made another spear and threw it at him.

He turned into purples mist briefly, using his Shadestep to dodge to the side as he pulled his gun out of the holster again and brought it up, shooting her wounded arm. Blood poured out from the wound while she used her other arm to try and stop the bleeding.

Saka stepped forward, putting his gun back in the holster as the air around him heated up. Just as he raised his hand into the air to summon his trusty gun, another spear, this one pink impaled the ground in front of him.

"Jeez Kalawarner… I didn't know you'd be having your ass kicked this badly by a single Human." A short girl with blonde hair styled into pigtails due to her black bow with blue eyes. She was wearing what could be described as a gothic lolita dress that had white frills and white thigh-high socks with black bows on her front. She too had a pair of black, feathery wings coming out from her back as she held a pink spear in her hand.

"Shut it Mittelt… this Hikari guy can't be Human. Let's just leave Dohnaseek to handle him…" She took to the air and fled, leaving Saka and the blonde.

"Aw… I was hoping I could kill. I haven't killed a Human in over a week!" She sounded sad about what she said as Saka's eyes widened. "I guess you can consider yourself lucky right now… until Dohnaseek finds you that is." She too flapped her wings, disappearing into the sky as Saka ran into the middle of the park, looking up and into the sky to try and spot them.

They left no signs of anything he could use as a trail, not even her own blood or any feathers that could've fallen off. His armor disappeared as the sky returned to normal.

"…What the hell were they?"

'The blue haired one, Kalawarner, said she was a Fallen Angel. The blonde one was similar to her with how they had the same wings. I want to believe they are Fallen Angels, like the ones spoken about in myths and legends, specifically the holy scripts.'

"So… I'm dealing with Angels who committed a sin?"

'That's what I believe. They also seem to believe you are Human… well, they're half right.'

"Yeah…" He looked around the area seeing a dark figure hiding in the trees. From below, a red circle rose up and took them away as he slammed his hand against his face. "Son of a… there was witness to the fight!"

'Are you sure? My sensors weren't picking up any signatures within the area!'

"Let's just hope whoever they are don't know me. I think I was also at safe enough distance to where they couldn't see my face properly or my eyes. I think they won't be able to properly identify me if they saw me on the street at least." He then whistled. From the bush, Kurai stepped out, seeming to look around the area before running towards him.

He knelt down and picked up his kitten, placing her on his shoulder as he looked around for anyone else nearby. Once he determined none were near, he turned to the exit of the park and left, hoping whoever saw him doesn't know his name or face.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3: A Hunter and a boy

* * *

Sleeping late on the weekends is one of the things Saka Hikari liked to do. As such, he was sleeping till noon while a certain cat was on top of him in her curled up state.

All anyone could see of him at the moment from how he had his face down in the pillow, was his dark hair and arm that was, again, hanging outside of the bed. The limb would twitch and move slightly on occasion.

Kurai uncurled herself and stretched, letting out a yawn that was mixed with her meow before she looked down at him. She moved up to his head and sat on it, her fur matching his hair as her tail was wagging back and forth. With one of her paws, she hit the back of his head.

He didn't register her small paw hitting his head. Instead, he rolled his head to the side, causing her to fall off. She moved back at him, this time in front of his face as she used both paws to hit his nose.

The appendage twitched slightly from her attack, but she did it again. His nose twitched again as his eyes furrowed slightly. She kept hitting his nose with her paws, causing it to turn slightly red as his eyes had furrowed completely as his face took one of discomfort. His face itself twitched slightly before his mouth opened and took a breath.

Kurai looked at him, suddenly realizing what he was about to do as she jumped out of the way. He took his breath and blew it out quickly, sneezing from her fur touching his nose and disturbing him slightly. His eyes twitched, slowly opening to reveal his groggy, emerald orbs.

They looked across the bed, spotting Kurai before closing them again. He pushed himself up and sat there, yawning as he interlocked his fingers, pushing them forward and popping them all. He opened his eyes again to look down at his cat as a small smile appeared on his face.

"You're a spoiled cat… you know that?"

"Nya."

"Whatever…" He took his legs out of the bed and moved to the bathroom. He entered and went for the sink, turning on the water to wash his face. He covered his face in the steaming water, letting the heat fully wake him up before looking at his reflection in the mirror.

He shook his head, making his hair look even messier than it usually as he groaned, popping his neck while Ghost appeared beside him.

"I hate flying enemies…"

"I can tell. I'm honestly curious about the weapon those two had. She was able to disintegrate your bullets with her spear."

"This is considering the fact that I used only the gear I brought with me down to the Vault. I only brought the weaponry I used for the first time I entered its depths along with the weapons I found. Same thing for my armor… I wish I had a different suit other than the old pieces of scrap that is the Vex metal. Heck, the Hive armor I skinned off the Hive when I went to kill Oryx would be better…"

"That it would. The only thing you have that would've killed either of those two, suggesting the blonde one is as strong as the blue haired one, would've been you-know-what."

"We both know I can't use it now. The systems are locked up."

"True…So, what's the plan for today?"

"Search around town. Spot any signs of a potential trail for these 'Fallen Angels' and see what their numbers and motives are. If they're a threat, I'll end them." He looked downwards, seeing his thin form. He looked to the side to spot his scale, moving to it and stepping on it.

"Let's see… 148? Ugh… Aren't I just 5.8?"

"Nya nya!" Kurai was looking at him, seeming to laugh with her meows. Saka looked at her with annoyance on his face before he came up with an idea.

He knelt down and picked her up, stepping off the scale and placing her on it.

"Let's see how much you weigh, little missy." He looked at her with a cocky look, turning to the measure to instantly widen his eyes. "119?! Do I have you put you on a skim milk diet?!"

"Nya!" She jumped off the scale and onto his face, claws extended as she scratched his face. He pulled her off before she could cause too much damage, having small cuts on the sides of his face. He held her a small distance from his head, looking at her as they both were staring at each other with annoyed looks.

"Skim milk it is for you."

"Nya! Nya nya!"

"Oh, I'm sorry, but you're a cat the size of my foot who weighs as much as a Human!"

"Nya, nya nya nya!"

"No, no exceptions. For the next week, you'll be given skim milk! No cream either!"

"Nya?!" She looked completely shocked to hear what he said. She had small tears in her eyes, looking at him with a pleading look.

"…"

"…"

"…"

"…"

"…Ok, maybe some cream. But still skim milk."

"Nya…"

"Good." He placed her back on the ground, looking down at her. "Now… I know you well enough to know you don't want to leave with me to look around town. Tell me right now, do you want to stay here, or go with?"

She looked up at him with a neutral look before moving away. He watched her jump onto the bed and curl up on one of the pillows. He sighed before leaving the bathroom, taking his shorts off before kneeling down in front of a dresser, pulling out a black tracksuit. He put it on, but left the top unzipped to show his white shirt.

He whistled lightly as he made his way through his house, going to the door and putting on a pair of black running shoes instead of his boots. He turned to look at his partner, floating towards him before vanishing. He left his house and closed the gate behind him.

'So, what soundtrack?'

"Meh. Anything with rock."

'I'll look through the library. Just start moving.'

"Roger that."

"You!" A female voice spoke out from behind him, causing him to turn around and face them.

A rather pretty woman who looked close to his age with long, black hair and violet eyes came running to him. She was wearing a black dress and purple jacket over said dress with purple shoes. She was carrying a somewhat large box, the size of a forearm almost.

"Yes?" He was confused by her appearance, not remembering meeting a person like her.

"You're in danger, but I need you to hold onto the contents of this box!" She shoved the box into his arms, confusing him further before he realized what she said.

"Wait, what do you mean I am in danger?"

"I don't have the time! Just keep it away from anyone who would try to take it!" She then ran past him, confusing him more before gaining a serious look, giving chase as he held the box.

"Get back here!" He chased after her, she turning around a corner as he approached. Once he turned the corner, he was greeted by the sight of an empty street. No sign of her anywhere. "What in the world?"

'Did… did she pull a magic trick on us? My sensors aren't picking her up anymore, almost like she… took to the sky… check the ground! Quick!'

"R-Right!" He knelt down and began examining the concrete beneath him, his eyes looking at every detail, every pebble to try and find a trail. There seemed to be recent imprints of dusty and dirty footprints, but they stopped halfway through the street and just stopped. "You must be joking me…"

He looked around, trying to spot anything that he can use as a trail, but then he spotted an object slowly falling from above. Once in range, he reached out and grabbed it, finding a black feather. He looked at it, trying to figure out why before he pulled it close to his face, sniffing it.

'Did you… just really do that?'

"Yes. And I can tell you this… it isn't a crow's feather. The smell is too… Human like to be a bird, but at the same time… it smells pretty bad."

'Do you think she was a Fallen Angel?'

"Maybe. If she was, then I have to wonder when she last bathed… the feather smells like… well, smells just horrible… but it also has the faint scent of… the faint scent of a cave, or underground catacomb."

'I see… so, what's in the box she gave you?'

He shrugged before examining the box and finding the lid. He grabbed it and pulled it off, revealing the content inside.

A green gauntlet wrapped in silver chains. It looked as though it could only cover a forearm with its length, including the hand. The fingers were sharp, almost like claws as a yellow gem was embedded in the back of the hand. From the looks of it, it also had a draconic feeling, close to the extinct Ahamkara, but far more powerful.

"This is… peculiar, to say the least." Half his mind said to touch it for a better examination, while the other half said not to. Following the first half, he didn't touch it as he looked around, seeing no one nearby as Ghost came out.

The small construct emitted beams that began scanning the gauntlet. They both could only look at it, neither daring to touch it as Saka could swear he could feel as though it was looking at him.

"This is… strange. I'm picking up signatures similar to the Ahamkara, but at the same time… signatures similar to the elements. Fire… Water… Earth… even Air… Whatever this is, it's something we've never encountered before."

"… think if we had the gauntlets, we could've asked him?"

"Wait, you actually want to try talking to the Ahamkara?! They've sent 7% of Hunters and 12% of Warlocks into insanity before they were exiled or imprisoned!"

"Remember, the one who's sealed in the gauntlets back home asks for a deal to be done before he speak to me."

"True, but still… what is this thing? Is this one of those Sacred Gears?"

"Maybe… Let's… let's put it in the inventory for now."

"On it." Ghost disappeared as the box and gauntlet did too. Saka looked around before coming back out and sighing.

"I guess start the soundtrack." He began moving forward slowly before he was jogging down the street.

'On it.'

 _Time Transition…_

* * *

Nothing. Not a single clue. He sighed in annoyance as he reached into a vending machine, pulling out a bottle of Woohoo. He pulled the top and began drinking it as the cold liquid poured down his throat. He pulled the drink away from him and used his sleeve to wipe his forehead.

'Well… today was a little useless. No signs of them, and no info gained about them. All we got was a box with a strange gauntlet.'

"Yeah…" He moved to the closest wall in the park he was in and leaned against it, watching the sun setting off in the distance as he sighed. "Today was a little slow…"

'I think the lack of Guardian reports and information sources has been really limiting our actions.'

"Yep… really wish I was still back in the City. Least there I had information and the resources to know what I was doing… Agh! For once I miss the Vex!"

'You actually MISS the Vex? What happened to you declaring vengeance on them for taking your mother and Lina?'

"Oh no, I still have my plan of exterminating them. I just miss them because it was their freaking gate that sent me here. I just want to use their gate to go back to the City. Hell, Mercury would still be pretty good since then you could send a distress signal… I also fear what's happened to my ship."

'I don't blame you. If it's lucky, another Guardian found it and sent it to the hangar. If it's unlucky… either it crash landed onto Venus, drifted away into space and crash landed on another planet or moon, Fallen found it and took it apart, or it's just drifting through space.'

"Please no… I like my ship. If the Fallen turn it into scrap, I will hunt down each one and kill their Captains, their Servitors, and their Archons."

'I know you would. You'd even kill a Kell if they were involved. So, what now? We can't keep talking about the potential fate of your ship without you fearing for the worst.'

He gave no reply as he got off the wall, leaving the park and heading home. He sighed in annoyance as he walked, tossing the can into a trash can before he left as he walked down the street, pulling his tracksuit's sleeves up to let his arms feel the cold air that was starting to appear.

He calmly walked through the street, occasionally seeing the walking businessman or woman walking by him, talking on their phones as they all ignored one another. He came across and intersection, another person coming across the intersection from the side, seeming to carry a bag.

The person suddenly tripped, not even releasing a noise when they realized. Saka saw them start falling forward as he jumped forward, reaching and grabbing their arm as his other arm moved quickly and grabbed their bag. He lifted them back to their feet as he got a better look at them.

It was a girl who looked really young, if not middle school or below by the sight of her petite form. She had short white hair with two sets of bangs that went past her shoulders and black cat hairpins in her hair with oddly familiar hazel eyes. She was wearing a white dress shirt with black stripes and a black tie around the collar, a black corset around her waist and a magenta skirt. She also had black knee socks and brown dress shoes.

His vision distorted itself slightly, his eyes gaining a stronger blue tint to them as they seemed to focus on her. He didn't know why, but the shape of white cat ears and a white cat tail appeared on her in the shape of what looked like an aura. She also seemed to, strangely, have a pair of wings emerging from her back that looked like a bat's. He grunted slightly, closing his eyes and grabbing his head before his vision fixed itself, green taking over his eyes once more.

"Sorry, I saw you trip and reached out. You okay?" He looked at her, but she didn't have her attention on him, rather, she had her attention on what was in his hand. He followed her gaze, spotting the bag in his hand and realizing it was full of sweets. "Oh, sorry. This is yours." He then handed her the bag as she took them.

"…Thanks." She spoke in a rather monotone voice, no real sound of appreciation.

'I don't know why, but she reminds me of a cat.'

Saka looked at her before giving a small wave of the hand, walking away. He casually walked away from the intersection, seeming to then pretend the situation never happened. He turned a corner, picking up speed. He kept walking down the street, but he picked up more speed as a look of annoyance started to grow on his face.

He picked up more speed, almost running now as he had a knife materialize in his pocket. He ran as fast as he could with his legs without putting strain on them. His eyes glanced back, keeping his speed going as he saw a bridge over the highway, but on it were two people. He stopped running as he took the opportunity to hide behind the corner.

"Why are you following me?"

"… You're going the same way I am." The girl looked at him, her face easily hiding any signs of emotion or, well, anything as she was walking slowly.

"Then why did you pick up speed when I did?"

"…I didn't. You're just slow."

His eyebrow twitched.

'She did not just say that.'

 _'_ _Oh yeah, she just did.'_

'Calling a Hunter slow? That's the biggest insult you can ever give them! And for her to say it to you, in front of you, is just… no words can explain how insulting that is.'

He looked at her with an obviously annoyed expression before he looked at the two on the bridge.

One was a boy he remembers seeing a lot. He had brown hair and light brown eyes, seeming of average height for his age. He wore a black blazer over a white dress shirt, both open to reveal the red t-shirt underneath and black pants. He also had a pair of blue and white sneakers.

The girl was one Saka's eyes widened at. The blonde Fallen Angel from before, but she was wearing a dark red jacket with the letter 'P' embroidered on the front and a white undershirt having its collar stick out with a red bow tied around her with a green skirt. She had white knee-high socks and brown dress shoes.

His vision distorted again, eyes gaining their blue tint once more as they focused on her. Behind her, her wings appeared in a black aura, but it also seemed to have feathers falling off. He turned his attention to the boy, seeing a red aura seeming to coat his left forearm.

He was confused by the sight of it, but his vision was corrected again as he realized they were speaking. He focused his hearing to listen in on their conversation as the white haired girl could only look at him, judging him without his knowledge through her neutral eyes.

"A date?" The boy spoke to her, sounding surprised.

"Yes, this Sunday. What do you think about it?"

"S-Sure! I'd love to."

"Thanks! Let's meet at the central plaza, at early noon. Bye Issei!" She then ran off away from him, away from them all as he threw his hands into the air in celebration before walking off. Saka stepped out from the wall and watched the blonde leaving, smirking slightly.

"Looks like I know what I'm doing…"

"… and just what would that be? Are you going to sabotage his date out of jealousy?" The girl looked at him with eyes that barely looked any different from how she's had them, seeming to be angry.

"…Would you believe me if I say his girlfriend is an entity of In-Human origin?"

"… No."

"That's what I thought." He then turned away and began walking away, somewhat following the brown haired boy. The white haired girl watched him walk away, but a small bat flew close to her. She looked at the bat, nodding before walking away.

 _Scene Transition…_

* * *

"So you say he has met with Hyoudou?" Inside a Victorian styled room lit by candles, behind a desk that had two couches in front of it with a table between them both were two women. Both seemed to be in their teenage years.

One was a beautiful woman with flowing, crimson hair with bangs that framed her face and a single strand sticking out from the top as she had blue-green eyes. She had a very buxom figure, but it wasn't as astonishing as Gabriel's. She wore an outfit an exact copy of the white haired girl's, only she wore a black shoulder cape around her shoulders and white socks around her ankles.

Beside her was another beautiful woman, this one with long black hair that was tied into a ponytail by an orange ribbon, reaching her legs. She too had a buxom figure that seemed just barely better than the crimson haired one as she had black knee-high socks.

"… Yes. He also recognized the Fallen Angel with him."

"Oh? Does this mean our potential future member remembers the faces of those he fights?" The black haired one spoke out. The crimson haired one moved her mouth to speak, but the door opened.

"Sona found all the information she could find about him." A rather handsome boy with short blonde hair had entered. He had grey eyes and a mole under his left. He wore an outfit similar to Issei's, only he had closed the blazer and had a black ribbon tied around the collar. In his hand was a set of documents with a picture of a certain Hunter on top.

"Thank you, Kiba." The crimson haired one took the document and opened it. She seemed to skim through it, looking for anything that seems important. "Eyesight comparable to that of an eagle… hearing on par with a bat… a sense of smell comparable to that of a dog? While that is impressive, I do not really know why he would have such a skill. He seems to have a skinny form similar to you, Kiba. Perhaps I should make him my other knight."

"If you do that, I wish to test his swordsmanship. Akeno did speak of how he had one, so I am curious if he is experienced in the art of swordplay."

"I wouldn't have it any other way for you. What else… rather impressive athletic skill… now, this is odd." She raised an eyebrow when she looked over one of the papers. "He has his mother registered on the paper, but his father is listed as blank. Is his father potentially a supernatural entity?"

The black haired woman seemed to look to the side, trying to hide her eyes, showing a hint of sadness.

"Hm… I guess I'll finish reading his records later." She stood up and went to the center of the room, all the members with her standing with her as a bright red circle appeared on the floor, rising upwards before taking them away.

 _Scene Transition…_

* * *

"You gave him the Sacred Gear?" A man with lightly pale skin and black hair that was tinted blue in multiple spots spoke. He had Void purple eyes behind a pair of glasses. He wore an orange shirt with navy pants and dark purple boots mixed with black. In the same room as him was the woman who gave Saka the gauntlet.

"Yes. I felt like it would be safer in his hands if he managed to injure Kalawarner lightly."

"Raynare, this might lead to him being a bigger target for Kalawarner, Mittelt, or even Dohnaseek to target him. I even fear what would happen if Sellzen were to meet him."

"I know… It's just… something about him felt strong."

"I see… Do we still plan on leaving the church with the Argento maiden on the night of the new moon?"

"Yes, we have to leave to protect her and stay alive. Kalawarner and Dohnaseek are very loyal to Kokabiel, so they would follow his order of killing the two males in the town while extracting her Sacred Gear."

"Very well." He looked at her, but sitting in silence. He coughed slightly, her raising an eyebrow before realizing what he mean't.

"O-Oh! I'm sorry. Um… goodnight Keith." She got up and left the room. 'Keith' laid himself down on the bed in the room. He stared up at the ceiling, taking his glasses off before they disappeared in a familiar flash of light.

'So… think he's in the area?'

"I hope he is. The City needs him. After all… he is the ultimate trump card in our war against the Darkness."


	4. Chapter 4

Alright this brings the end of the hard part of my mistake since now I don't have to completely rewrite chapters I've lost. Yay...

I'm just going to go through chapters 5-8 to do revisions to match up with what I've changed now.

Now for the questions everyone has asked in the past few chapters that I haven't answered.

 **Guest:** This is considering you are the same guy. First, on chapter 2, I have no clue what you mean when you said 'What does this mean exactly?!' So I can't answer that question. For your chapter 3 question... yes. Yes she will.

 **T-B-R:** The bullets in destiny are just that, bullets. I took into consideration of the holy bullets exorcists use in their guns and comparing it to Destiny sidearms. I decided they would be essentially equal in power, considering the sidearm is of green rarity. Kalawarner's spear was also only able to destroy his bullet since he never fought ANYTHING supernatural back in his home. The closest you can say he has fought would be the Hive since they utilize dark magic,so I then compared the Wizard to a Fallen Angel.

There, I decided regular Wizards, with full shield, would be 1/5 as strong as a Fallen Angel with just 2 wings, but harrowed wizards are then 1/2 as strong. Also, he will be shooting. A lot. I'm just running statistics through my head to give his weapons numbers fo strength essentially and then putting together numbers of strength for the opponent.

For instance, let's say a Human, adult male with a healthy body, no fat, but no muscle, just your everyday Human from our world, has a strength of 10. Then, let's say Mittelt, since I decided she will be the weakest as she is the youngest, has a strength value of 104, just barely more than ten times that amount. This is because Raynare, in canon and was stronger than Mittelt, had stabbed Issei, who struggles to do pull ups when he wanted to try and save Asia in the show, with ease. All she did was place the spear against his stomach essentialy, and easily pushed it in.

With that, I came up with the number of Issei's strength in the show, or in the beginning at all, was about 12, maybe 13. Raynare was easily 110-120. Afterwards in the show, we remember she gave him time when he awakened the Boosted Gear. This caused his strength to then reach 26, then 52, then 104. I'm not giving him 208 since then he would have made an obvious wound on her, but all he did was knock her out when she was off guard and send her flying. This is due to the difference of strength they still had, she also still possessed a stronger body since she had been trained before the show, as Issei was trained during the show.

Yes, I am over analyzing it, but hey. It's kind of fun this way. Now, Saka, being a Hunter and trained in the art of combat for a few years, I'm giving a power strength of 750 to 950, maybe 1,100, depending on how serious he is and whether he uses a Super or not. Ultimate class, let's say Sirzechs, has a strength value of 1,058,532, very, very far out of his league. He will, however, be able to trust his instinct in estimating the power of the person, knowing whether he has a chance of victory or total annihilation. And holy crud I went into very deep detail about this, but hey, now you know.

Current votes for Issei's women:

Asia: 2

Akeno: 1

Koneko: 1

Irina: 1

Xenovia: 1

Remember, all except Rias and the Guardian's girls are allowed for the vote. Top 5 girls for Ise.

I own neither series as they belong to their respective owners, and this disclaimer also transcends to the past chapters I've forgotten to put it on.

* * *

Chapter 4: A nightmare rescue

His bed was one of few places he called comfy. And by few, it mean't 2. The second being his ship, but that is far, far out of his reach. But, at the moment, he wasn't enjoying the comfiness of the bed as much as he would like.

He was tossing and turning, sheets having no coverage over his body as he had tossed them off long ago. He was panting, small amounts of sweat on his body as a discomfort look was on his face.

The reason behind this was his dream. Inside his mind, he was in a dream of pain he wishes to be gone.

His dream body was in his armor, missing the helmet and his hood pulled down. He was in a different house, one he knew from his early childhood.

In front of him was a mother and her son. The son was barely 5, turning 6 soon with black hair and emerald green eyes, healthy skin for someone his age.

With him was a woman in Hunter armor. She was incredibly beautiful, her flowing black hair that matched his while she had a long bang on her right that reached down to her chest and a shorter left bang that reached her shoulder as she had her own pair of emerald green eyes, pearly white skin.

Her armor included green pants with a black knee pad on both, the left being larger than the other as she had dark grey boots that reached up to the pads. A grey belt tied around her waist with a lighter grey pack on her right. Her chest armor was mainly a dark grey clothe, but she wore an armored vest around the sides for protection. The vest reached from her shoulders to the belt, a shade of green darker than her pants with breast pockets on both sides that both are lined in grey. Her arms were protected by dark green clothe, but it was white on the underside with the standard issue black gloves. She had dark grey metal pieces around her forearms, both having slots for a knife on the back with a green shoulder pad. Her cloak had white fur around the front of the hood as the cloak transitioned from bottom white to top black with gold outlining.

On her waist was a hand cannon that was black and white, the Spade suit on it. In her hands was her helmet, a Hunter helmet that looked similar to a bird with a beak on the nose, two dark eye sockets with brownish orange colors on the sides and the top with white.

"Saka, dear… I was called out for a mission on Venus. When I get back, that's when I'll show you your present, ok?"

"Yes ma'am."

"That's my little Hunter." She leaned forward and kissed him on the forehead, hugging him before standing up and heading towards the door. The adult Saka watched the scene play out as he then ran to try and prevent the woman from leaving.

"No! Do not go to Venus!" His hand reached out to grab her, instead passing right through her like she was a ghost, but the scene then turned into dust, revealing a darker version of the room.

In the middle was the child Saka again, only a Warlock was down on his knees with an item wrapped in a dark blue clothe. By the door was a Titan with their head down with a sad expression on her face.

"Saka… I… I am sorry…" The Warlock spoke to his past self, unwrapping the clothe to reveal the gun the woman from before had. To some, it looked like the Exotic tier weapon many call 'The Ace of Spades,' but to him, it is his mother's last memento. "Sealanna… she… a Minotaur was about to blast me into an active gate… but she… she pushed me aside and took the full blunt of the attack. She was sent into the gate… leaving behind only her weapon…"

He could hear it, the sorrow the Warlock spoke with along with the guilt. The younger Saka stared at the Warlock, tears forming in his eyes before running away. The Warlock watched him flee, gaining a rather depressed look. "It seems… I've ruined a small, but happy family…"

Saka could only stand there, clenching his fists as the sound of his gloves tightening could be heard. He turned around and reared back his fist, sending it flying straight to the closest wall to only stumble forward as the scene had changed.

Cosmodrone. Old Earth… the day of the Collapse.

He looked around the area. Fallen ships and soldiers covering the sky and the ground. His hand moved to his hip, grasping nothing but air in an attempt to grab a gun. He then pulled his arm back to grasp air once more from his back, no weapon on him.

"All of you… run!" A female voice yelled, making him turn towards the source. A woman, long black hair and purple eyes, laying in a pool of her own blood as her gaze was focused on a set of three boys.

One was him, once again, at the age of 15… the age he died.

Beside him were his cousins, a pair of twins. Both were a year younger than him had short black hair with blue tints in multiple locations with Void purple eyes, only one had a pair of glasses on for his poor eyesight. The bespectacled one was Keith Kugeki, his favorite of the twins as the other was his brother, Kyle Kugeki.

"But mother-"

"It's too late! We have to run!" The younger Saka grabbed his glasses wearing cousin and pulled him, his cousin having his arm reaching out for his mother as they could only run from the scene.

Saka stood there, watching his younger self run through what would later be his grave. He chased after his younger self and cousins, passing through all of the vehicles around as he saw the multitude of people who were fleeing from the Fallen.

He watched his younger self drag his cousins behind him, all three of them running as he could see the Fallen behind them.

They approached the wall, making it close before a Skip appeared above, only it had a large hatch on the bottom.

The hatch opened, a large Fallen with four large arms jumped out from the Skip.

An Archon Priest. The one that killed him.

The boys stopped running, the twins looking up the Archon in fear as Saka stood firm. He knelt down and picked up a piece of scrap metal, throwing it at the Archon. The metal hit the Archon, but easily bounced off.

The Archon looked down at him, none able to see what expression the Fallen could be showing beneath his helmet. It stepped forward, grabbing the younger Saka and threw him across the area.

Keith watched as his cousin was sent flying, fear evident on his face as he was unaware of the Vandal with a Line Rifle aiming. Charging its shot, it fired a charged round at Keith, piercing his left chest and entering his heart before disappearing.

His blood spurt outwards before he fell down on his face, a puddle of blood forming around him as his brother looked at him in fear. The Archon grabbed Kyle, using two of its arms, and ripped his torso from his legs before dropping the two pieces of his body.

The past Saka got up and looked at the sight of his dying cousins, unaware of the Captain approaching from behind. It jumped and brought its two blades down, slicing his back in a diagonal manner that went from his left shoulder to his lower back, cutting his spine in half.

The actual Saka watched in horror of the sight of seeing himself die. He curled his hands into fists again, anger obvious on his face as he knelt down, hand in the air as he punched the ground, causing the scene to change again.

Mercury, nearly a year ago, just under 3 years since he became a Hunter.

He looked around the area, spotting a large black and morphing item in the middle of the room he was in. The second Black Heart.

On one side of the room was a large Vex robot, similar to a Gate Lord, but it also seemed to have been mixed with Atheon with the clear plating it had. On the other side was a large Vex teleportation gate that was actually missing the structure.

It was sucking in everything that wasn't able to remain on the ground. Vex remains, some active Vex units, their own explosives, and it was trying to suck in the Fireteam who were protected inside of a Ward of Dawn thanks to the Titan.

A Hunter, one he knew as himself was holding onto a female Warlock in Hive armor who wasn't standing on the ground as the portal's vacuum affect caused her to go airborne. The male Titan was doing his best to keep their protection up.

"Just let me go! If you don't, we'll all be sucked in!" The Warlock was trying to have him release her, he had a firm hold on her arm and his hand on his sword that he had impaled in the ground.

"No! I'm not leaving here without either of you!"

"You're more important to the City! We need you alive to continue our fight against the Darkness! Me and him are expendable, but you aren't!"

"Hunter! I won't be able to keep our protection up for much longer! I ask you to do something, otherwise we will all be destroyed!" The Titan was visibly struggling to keep the Ward up, Saka releasing an audible growl.

The Warlock held onto Saka's arm with both her hands, actually using one to grab his hand. "Saka… this is where my time ends…" She then forced his hand off her arm, releasing her as she flew backwards and towards the portal.

She flew through the portal, disappearing from sight and radar as both Sakas could only stand there in shock, having witnessed her death. The area around him turned into a dark space, void of anything but himself as he fell on his knees.

Shock was evident on his face, his arms reaching up and grabbing the sides of his head as he looked down. His head rose up again, fury in his eyes as the emerald orbs began changing, losing their shine and becoming sapphire blue.

The three colors of Light came up from the ground, swirling around him as Arc Light went to his legs, Void Light to his torso, and Solar Light to his head. He stood back up, crossing his arms together in an X fashion in front of him before throwing them to the side and screaming, the Light all jumping onto him even faster.

"Woah, woah, woah! Get up! Get up! Get up now!

His eyes popped open nearly instantly, bolting up from his bed as he looked at himself.

His Light was starting to transform him as his torso had a light purple glow, head with a light orange glow, and his legs with a light blue glow. He stopped his Light from spreading any further, all of it receding back into his body as his eyes changed from sapphire blue back to their emerald shine.

He looked to the source of the person who woke him up, seeing Ghost hovering nearby. He grit his teeth, smashing his hand against the bed and hitting his leg.

"GAAAAAGH!" He let out an angry yell as Ghost looked at him.

"What in the world happened to you? I thought you had that form under control after the fight against Fireteam Mountain."

"I do have it under control… My Light follows my will… it's just… my dream was what was starting the transformation…"

"Your dream? What was it? … was it… their deaths?"

"…Yeah…"

"Oh… considering Lina's death was what pushed you to transform, seeing it again should cause a repeat. Including your mother's and aunt's, I'm surprised your Light didn't explode out of your body and release a shockwave of Light with a five mile radius."

"… One of the curses of being the only living Human and Light crossbreed… was anyone possibly able to detect me?"

"No, I'm still able to keep your Light off any kind of sensor. Unless my systems get corrupted, which is very unlikely in this time, your Light will be hidden from any possibly sensor or radar."

"Good… Let's… let's get ready." He got up and left his bed, leaving the room. Ghost watched him leave, following after.

"Sometimes… I really worry about him more than I should. I guess it's the problem with being the Child of Light's Ghost…"

 _Scene Transition…_

* * *

He leaned against the wall, looking around the plaza in front of him to look for a certain blonde Fallen Angel.

At the moment, he couldn't see anyone similar to her. His eyes would dart back in forth across the plaza for any sign of her.

"Anything?"

'No. I'm not picking up any signatures similar to her or the blue haired one.'

"Damn." He kept a look of annoyance on his face. Giving a tired sigh, he reached into his pocket and pulled out a bar of chocolate. Peeling off the wrapper, he took a bite out of the dark colored sweet as his eyes saw something.

Turning towards the direction, he looked up at a nearby roof to see an incredible small creature. It was green, looking similar to an imp. He stared at the small creature, seeing that it too was looking at him.

"Please take one!" A female voice spoke out in a chirpy tone near him. He turned towards them to see a woman in a rather strange outfit, similar to a bat holding a flyerout for him.

He took one with his free hand, watching her turn and leave. He let out an annoyed groan, starting to dislike women randomly appearing near him without him knowing.

'What's the flyrer say?'

He shrugged slightly, pulling the flyer up to his face to read it. It wasn't an advertisement or anything for supporting a business or association. There was a strange circle with symbols across it everywhere as the words 'Your wish shall be granted' were below the circle.

'O…k? This is odd.'

"You took the words right out of my mouth." He flipped the paper, trying examine it further. He looked around the area before moving. He went down a dark alley, Ghost appearing by his side as he began scanning it.

"Hm… the symbols aren't matching up with anything I have records on. Not even ancient ones from lost civilizations match it."

"So… burn it?"

"Burn it."

"With pleasure." He stuck his bar into his mouth and held it with his teeth, using his now free hand to start a small flame. He held it under the paper, watching it slowly turn black before catching fire itself, turning into ashes as they fell to the ground. Ghost disappeared once more as he looked around, ensuring no one saw him.

When he looked up, he saw the green imp again, silently cursing as it moved away from the edge and fled. He focused on his hearing, trying to hear whatever footsteps it may cause, but no sound came from above. He jumped up the wall, grabbing the edge of a window with his hands and used it to pull himself up further, then jumping from the window to a pole sticking out nearby.

He swung his legs forwards, then backwards, and forwards once more before grabbing onto the rails of a fire escape. He ran up the steps, making it to the roof to look for the imp.

The was no sign of the small creature in sight. He went to the ledge where he last saw it, kneeling down on the ground and using his hand to examine while sniffing the air.

"… No trail. It just disappeared."

'Whatever it is, it seemed to try to stay out of Human sight. This way, we know it might not be able to speak about us with any Humans… considering it isn't anything normal.'

"While that is true, we don't know what it is. For all we know, that thing could've been a tiny creature made by the Fallen Angels to try and get some recon."

'… or maybe… there's a third party involved. One that might be using us to their advantage.'

"Tch… shit. I've always hated third parties." He remained on the roof, crouching down low as he came across a spot to overlook the plaza with minimal suspicion.

He went to the spot, peeking his head over the side of the ventilation unit he hid behind as he saw Hyoudou. Ghost appeared beside him, turning to the left and signaling for him to do the same.

He turned and saw her. The blonde Fallen Angel making her way to him while wearing a yellow dress that looked similar to her gothic one, just the black being replaced and minus the bow.

They watched as Saka saw the woman from before approach him, handing him the same flyer. He looked at in, obviously confused by the words on it before he pocketed it when she arrived.

They both could see her putting up a fake smile, asking him about something obviously. He seemed to suggest something, both then leaving the plaza.

Saka and Ghost watched them leave, standing up himself as he pulled away from the edge of the roof, looking forwards for the next roof, one a full story higher, before running. Once he got to the edge, he jumped, using his feet to then give him extra height on the wall before grabbing the ledge and pulling himself up. He ran forward, jumping down from the higher part of the roof to the lower and landing on his feet as he ran across the rooftops to follow them both.

Behind him, the small green imp trailed him, but it was easily losing sight of him as he ran faster than it could and jumped farther and higher than itself.

 _Meanwhile…_

* * *

"You say one of your familiars is watching him, but due to his better speed and jumping prowess, he's escaping its sight?" The crimson haired girl was looking at the black haired one, who nodded.

"Yes, Rias. He also says that he burned the summoning circle."

"He burned the circle?" 'Rias' said in shock. "That is rather interesting. Did he use a lighter or a match? … or did he use magic?"

"He says that he snapped his fingers, a small flame appearing on them."

"He… created fire by snapping his fingers? Are you sure, Akeno? Did he do it by performing magic and that he didn't have specks of flint on his fingers with anything flammable coating them?"

"He says he is sure. There wasn't anything on his hands except the wrapper of a candy bar."

"A… candy bar?" She looked confused when she heard that, turning towards the white haired girl who was calmly sitting on one of the couches, eating a bag of chocolate. "Well, Koneko, perhaps our future member has a sweet tooth like you."

She looked at Rias before pulling her bag into a firm hold. "… I'm not sharing."

Both older girls let out a nervous laugh as Rias spoke again. "I wouldn't expect you to."

As Rias turned back to Akeno, the door to the room opened. From it, a girl with a slim figure entered. She had black hair with a bob cut style as her purple eyes were behind her glasses, wearing the same uniform as Rias and Akeno.

"Rias, I see you are still holding onto Mr. Hikari's files."

"I was about to return them. I already looked into the files and took note of anything that seemed interesting about him."

"I see. Well, I did some looking into him myself, and I noticed his records were a little… off."

"Oh? How so?"

"Graduating from high school at the age of 15, exceptional physical prowess for a Human, and then no real records of family history except for just his mother, who also seems to not even be registered in the system. Either we're dealing with another supernatural entity like us, or he is someone who has been off the radar for a long time.

I'm not sure if you'll think the same, but I have decided that I don't want to involve myself with him unless he can be proven to be no threat to me, my peerage, or any other Devil for that reason."

"You're right Sona. I won't think the same. If all his records are true, and he has power unlike we've seen before or heard of, I feel as though he may be my key to escaping that man." She changed her tone from her serious one to one of hatred and disgust, obviously disliking who she was talking about.

Sona sighed as she adjusted her glasses. "Rias, I support you fully in your plan to dissolve the engagement, and if I could, I would help you, but like I said, I will not be involving myself with Hikari unless he can be proven to be no threat to Devil kind."

Rias smirked at her friend, giving a light laugh. "I guess that's just what makes us different Sona."

 _Scene Transition…_

* * *

(Still too lazy to write the date scene between them.)

Issei was walking through a park, the sun setting in the distance. With him, Mittelt in her disguise walked beside him. They came to the middle the middle of the park, beside a fountain.

Once they reached the middle of the park, she stepped forward and turned around to look at him.

"Hey Issei… can you do something for me?"

"Huh? Oh, uh, sure. What is it?"

"Do you think… you can drop dead right now?"

"Huh?" He looked confused when she asked the question, moving his hand and putting a finger in his ear to clean it. "Sorry, but can you say that again?"

"I asked if you can drop dead right now." She stepped, releasing a bright light that blinded the entire area. When the light died, she was in her gothic outfit again, light spear in hand.

Issei looked at her, confused and afraid as he fell down on his rear, scooting backwards slightly.

"I have to say this… watching someone changing a light bulb was more entertaining than this date. I was this close to just saying screw it and killing you on the spot." He spun the spear in her hand, her wings emerging from her back and an evil smile forming on her face.

"Wha… what?"

"Just be glad you got me and not Kalawarner… she'd have taken her anger out on you at the start since she got hurt by a Human recently. But that's irrelevant and all… I guess that if you want to blame someone for your death, you can blame God for giving you a Sacred Gear."

"What are you talking about?! God?! Sacred Gears?!"

"Ugh… I can't take your voice anymore at this point. I just hope you're ready to meet up with your ancestors in the afterlife." She then raised the spear and directed it at Issei, but a silent sound came out from a bush and a small blur flying at Issei. His eyes grew tired, eyelids slowly closing before he passed out. "…huh?"

Rapid footsteps could be heard hitting the brick on the ground, Mittelt turning to look at the sound to see a figure jump from the ground. They pulled one leg back and kept the other straight out as they performed a dive kick, straight into her chest.

The small Fallen Angel was thrown off balance due to the attack, falling on her back with pain in her chest as the figure back flipped after kicking her down, landing on his legs. He reached behind him, pulling out his sword as Mittelt pushed herself up, wincing from the feeling of her painful chest before looking at her attacker, growing angry at the sight of him.

"You?!"

"Surprised?" Saka spoke with a sarcastic tone as his armor covering him instantly. "I thought you guys forgot about me, but now I know you guys still care. I'm touched."

"Shut up, asshole!" She took to the air, pulling her spear back and readying to throw it as the area around them turned darker, the sky turning dark as Saka got in his stance.

She threw her spear at him, but he easily dodged by jumping to the side. She made another spear and threw it, but he jumped backwards again to dodge. Getting angrier, she created two spears and threw them both.

He dodged the first, but the second was right behind it and it was coming straight for him.

From her view, the spear had stabbed him since he wasn't moving and neither was the spear, letting her smile. She did, however, ignore the fact there was no blood if he was just hit.

"Is this thing seriously able to destroy my bullets?" He moved the spear out of his face, holding it with his hand as he looked at it. "These things are able to destroy my bullets, but I can catch them like nothing?" He kept looking at it, inspecting it with his gaze and trying to understand it.

She stared at him in complete shock and confusion, mouth wide open as she could not believe what she just saw. He looked back up at her, then back at the spear. "Well, I guess I must return it to the sender." He switched his hold on it to look like he was holding a javelin, reeling back and then throwing forward.

The spear flew faster from him than it did from her, flying at her before she realized what was happening. The spear disappeared into thin air as she regained her angry look.

"You can't just take my spear and throw it back at me!"

"…" He just looked up at her, reaching to his side and pulling out the Last Word, pulling the trigger quickly and hitting her arm. She screamed when the bullet entered her flesh, cracking bone before it was embedded in her limb.

'You know… having enemies that speak during the middle of battle… it's… it's kind of a big change of things since now we have to deal with them possibly complaining about you being… well… you.'

"Yep." He pulled back the hammer of the gun and shot again. She quickly made another spear, using it to then try and block the bullet. The spear worked in blocking the bullet, but the bullet did crack the spear.

Saka saw the cracks and placed his hand over the hammer, shooting the trigger and pulling back the hammer rapidly, bullets flying out of the barrel. The second bullet cracked the spear further, the fourth and fifth doing the same. The sixth bullet broke the spear as the last two flew past where it was and hit her in the shoulder.

She screamed from the high caliber rounds hitting her shoulder and piercing it, the eighth actually going right through it as blood spurt out from both sides. Saka quickly holstered the hand cannon, reaching to his back as another gun appeared on it, grabbing the wooden grip and pulling it over his shoulder, pulling the bolt on the side as the round was loaded into the barrel as he pulled the trigger to the No Land Beyond.

The sniper round fired too fast for even his eyes to see, but he knew where it hit.

A new hole had appeared in her left wing, some feathers falling to the ground that were soaked in her blood as the red liquid poured out from the wound. She lost her altitude immediately, falling to the ground. He pulled the bolt back again as he ran to her, placing his foot down on her center of gravity and aimed the barrel of the rifle to her head as his helmet vanished, leaving him with just his hood.

"Talk. Why do you want me and him dead?"

"Like I'll tell you anything!"

"Wrong answer." He moved the rifle to aim at her other wing, pulling the trigger as he caused her to scream again while he pulled the bolt. "Why do you want us dead?"

"I… I said… that I won't talk…"

"Wrong. Answer." He twisted his heel on her chest, causing her to let out a painful noise. "Tell me why you want us dead."

"N-Never…"

"Wrong. Answer." He used his free hand to grab his sword, pulling it out of the sheathe. Once out, he held it in reverse grip, plunging it down and onto her other shoulder.

She screamed from him impaling her to the ground, but she screamed even louder when he twisted the blade.

"Talk. Now."

"Do… Dohnaseek!"

"What?" He looked at her, confused by what she said before his instinct kicked in. Back flipping off the Fallen Angel, he saw a spear was thrown and would've hit him had it not been for his instinct warning him.

"Hm. Thought I had the element of surprise." A male voice spoke out. Saka looked to the source to see a middle aged man with short black hair and dark blue eyes. He was wearing a pale violet trenchcoat with a white dress shirt peeking out of the collar and a matching ascot. He had black pants on with black shoes as he held onto a black fedora, lifting it slightly to look at Saka.

The weird part was the fact he didn't have a pair of wings, but two pairs of black, feathery wings from his back and a blue light spear in his hand.

Saka could even feel it. He was definitely stronger than Mittelt and Kalawarner. Be it his instinct or something deeper down, it was warning him that he may be on par, if not deadlier than himself… to a degree.

His hold on his weapons tightened, moving his arm to put his sniper back on his back as he then reached for his hand cannon.

"Don't bother. I'm not here to kill you… yet. I'm only here for this one before you have the chance to kill her." He dispelled his spear, then grabbing Mittelt and throwing her over his shoulder as his dark blue eyes met Saka's emerald. "Your eyes are rather bright… for a killer."

"Yours are rather dark… for a former Angel."

"Heh… a smart mouth… can't say I haven't seen one in a while." He then turned around, walking away. "… this week, during the new moon. We'll be at the church at the edge of town. Why I'm telling you this is because I want to be the one to kill you."

"Heh… you've just made a deal with a Hunter…"

"Hey, this isn't over!" Mittelt squirmed slightly, still seeming to have enough energy to yell at him. "When you arrive, me and Kalawarner are going to kick your ass for what you've done! You hear me?!"

"Whatever you say… midget."

"Why you-!" She couldn't finish her sentence when Dohnaseek took them both to the air, flying away as the area regained its natural lighting.

His armor disappeared, leaving him in his regular outfit as he raised his arms into the air and interlocked his fingers, popping every joint in them before yawning and throwing his arms to his sides.

"…She talked too much."

'That she did. Something I want to ask is why did you catch the spear?'

"I was curious about the stuff that destroyed my bullets. It… wasn't as interesting as I thought it was. I honestly expected the thing to maybe burn my hand upon contact, instead… felt like I just grabbed a bullet honestly."

'When have you… Crucible?'

"Crucible."

"Nnng…" Issei groaned, his eyes twitching slightly as Saka turned towards him, eyes slightly wider than usual.

'Isn't your tranquilizer gun capable of knocking a Phalanx out for an hour?! How is he getting up so soon?!'

"How should I know?" He calmly walked to the waking Hyoudou, picking him up and walking to a nearby bench and placing him on it. He turned around and then debated between staying or leaving.

"Staying would protect him in case another Fallen Angel decides to come kill him…"

'Leaving would reduce any possible suspicion on you that he may have.'

"…"

'…'

"'Stay.'"

His eyes twitched again, opening slowly as he pulled himself up. He groaned slightly as his light brown eyes opened, looking around. He looked to where he was, seeing he was on a bench as he looked up, spotting Saka leaning on a tree.

"About time you woke up, kid. You've been sleeping for the past few minutes."

"Wha…" He looked at Saka, swearing he has seen him before. "Aren't you… aren't you that 'Hikari' guy who works at Heavens Wheel cafe in Akihibara?"

"Yep. I'm a waiter, and on some occasion, the chef. You are... that Hyoudou boy who comes about once a month, aren't you?"

"Uh… yeah…" His gaze kept wandering around the park, spotting the fountain before his eyes widened in realization. "Wait… Hinshi! Did you see Hinshi anywhere nearby?!"

"Hinshi? Short girl, blonde hair, blue eyes?"

"Yeah! That's her!"

"She left talking on a phone. I heard her talking about some sort of bet with her friends. I think I heard your name mentioned in the conversation."

"She… was speaking about a bet?" He looked at Saka before his head lowered. "Oh… I see now…"

"Sorry to hear that, kid. If it makes you feel any better, heartbreak is one of many things everyone must experience once in their life to learn a lesson."

"… What's that lesson?"

"Hell if I know."

"But you spoke about it like you experienced it yourself."

"Yeah, except I was the one who rejected her."

"You were asked out by a girl?"

"Yep…" He rested his hands behind his head as he yawned. "Anyways… it's about time you head home. You've got school tomorrow since you look young and I've got a date with my bed." He then began walking away from the scene, hands still behind his head.

Issei looked to the fountain before sighing, walking away himself. He was unaware that the flyer he had fell out of his pocket and landed on the ground, neither looking back to see a figure walking out from the shadows.

The figure was covered in a thick robe, unable to identify body type as they stood next to the flyer on the ground. They picked it up before suddenly lighting it on fire with their hands. They looked up to see the fleeing forms of the two males, but then turned around and began walking away.

"I may trust you, Sirzechs…" They spoke with a female voice, a large, dark purple octagon appearing in front of them. "But I won't let my boy become a Devil…" They then walked through the magic circle, teleporting away as all that was left were the ashes of the flyer.

* * *

Yay! Done with rewritting full chapters. I only have to do some revisions on past chapters now before repostng them and then finishing chapter 9.

I would say more, but not now. And I also have to admit that I am shocked to see my follows and favorites go up when I did the rewritten chapters. Slightly.

But, yada yada, see you all next time.


	5. Chapter 5

Alright, expect major updates for today since I am putting chapter 5, 6, 7, and 8 back in today after I change just a few things. One of the changes is that I will be clearing some words from the headers and footers. Some slight revisions here and there, but otherwise, still the same chapters like before.

I do not own either series as they belong to their respective owners.

Chapter 5: A boy, a nun, and Devils

* * *

Issei was not having a very good day. First, when he woke up he saw Saka passing by his house with a black cat on his shoulder. He grew curious into why he was passing by his house, so he asked him why. The only reply he got was 'Your house is on the way to the station.'

The reason as to why he was curious was because when he got home late last night, his parents were worried because they thought he was out at night for an unknown reason.

 _Flashback…_

* * *

 _"_ _See you another day, kid." Saka was on in the middle of the street as Issei was in front of the gate to his house.  
_

 _"_ _Yeah, thanks for the help."_

 _"_ _No problem. Get a good night's rest, since you look like you need it." With that, Saka turned away and began walking down the street. Issei watch him walk away before he turned a corner, leaving the brunette's line of sight as he decided to go into his own home.  
_

 _He entered through the door and was greeted by the sight of a dark house, so he hoped his parents were asleep. He moved to the stairs and began to tiptoe his way up-_

 _"_ _Where do you think you are going, young man?" The voice of his father spoke up from the living room as the lights were turned on, revealing both his parents who looked angry at him. His father looked like the typical office worker with his glasses and scruffy chin as his mother looked like the typical housewife._

" _I'm… going to my room?"_

 _"_ _We know that, but where were you?" His mother spoke with concern for her son's safety as he looked at her confusingly._

 _"_ _I was on a date with my girlfriend. Remember? I told you both before I left."_

 _"_ _Our son has a girlfriend?!" His father spoke in surprise as his glasses nearly fell off. His mother let out a gasp as she turned towards her husband._

 _"_ _Our little boy has finally matured enough to get a girlfriend! We might actually have grandchildren!"_

 _"_ _Oh I am proud of my son finally losing the whole 'normal' aspect he has been since the Shidou family moved away!"_

 _"_ _Oh, Issei, what's her name, and what does she look like?"_

 _"_ _I showed you both a picture of her this morning. If you forgot already, I still have it on my-" He cut himself off when he had opened his phone to find the picture, only to see it was gone. "What the?"_

 _He looked around on his phone and saw everything was gone. Her number, her contact, everything. "It was here this morning!"_

 _"_ _Oh… maybe we were too hopeful after all." Both his parents lost the hopeful and joyous looks they had as they both let out a sigh. "Issei, go ahead and go to bed. We'll talk about this another day."_

 _"_ _But I'm telling you, I went out on a date with Hinshi!"_

 _"_ _Issei, please. I had a rough day at work since Takamura dumped his work on me when his wife went into labor."_

 _"_ _I- fine…" He let out a defeated groan as he made his way back to the stairs. His father got up and followed his wife to their room as Issei went to his and collapsed on the bed._

 _'_ _Man… what the hell is going on?'_

 _Flashback end…_

* * *

He barely got any sleep from last night because of what happened. He let out a tired yawn as he made his way to school. He was still trying to wrap his mind around the time at the park as he remembered watching Hinshi turn change into a gothic loli outfit, grow a pair of black feathered wings, and create a spear that was glowing pink.

'Must've been a crazy dream… but then why was he involved in it?'

"Eep!" He heard someone yelp and the sound of a thud soon follow. He looked at the source and immediately look to the sound due to a blush forming on his cheeks.

A girl with her lower area revealed to the world being covered by her underwear was in a nun outfit, but she landed face first into the ground as the white veil she wore covered her hair.

"H-Hey! Are you alright?" He ran towards the nun, stretching his hand out to help her up. She looked up, allowing part of the veil to move out of the way to reveal her green eyes. They were a more brighter color than the green eyes Saka has as she took his hand to pull herself up.

"Oh, grazie." She said that in a language he didn't understand. (I apologize to any Italians reading this, since I used translate to know the Italian words. If I have them wrong, I am sorry for offending you.)

"Um… can you… speak any Japanese?" He asked but she looked at him confusingly.

"Mi dispiace che cosa?" She was not speaking Japanese for him, but then he remembered something.

"Can you speak this?" He switched to English, despite how it sounded butchered.

"Ah, yes! I can speak some English." He gave a mental sigh as she looked at him. "Do you... do you also know where the local church is?"

"Ugh... I think so. There's only one church in town, and I think I know where it is. I'm Issei, Issei Hyoudou."

"Oh, thank you! My name is Asia Argento, and... like you saw... I can't speak the local language properly at the moment."

"Don't worry. I can act as your translator if someone speaks to you."

"Thank you again! I'm am not sure now if I can repay the kindness you are showing me."She bowed towards him as he let out a nervous laugh.

"Come on, let's go find the church for you." She nodded as they began walking. With Issei deciding to start another conversation, he turned to her. "So.. why are you going to this church?"

"Oh. I was transferred to it recently from my old one..." She spoke in a saddened tone, making Issei regret asking as he shut his mouth. They began to hear a child crying, looking towards the sound to see a small boy with a scrap on his knee from going down a slide behind him. Asia moved to him and knelt down beside him.

Suddenly a green light appeared in her hands with a pair of rings on her fingers. The scrap the boy had sustained was slowly being replaced by healed skin. "Boys shouldn't cry, no matter what happens to them."

The mother of the boy came to her son and grabbed his arm as he was suddenly being taken away by his mother. "Sweetie, don't associate with strangers. It's dangerous."

Issei clenched his fist in anger from what the mother said before releasing it and looking at Asia again. "That's a cool trick you have. Where'd you learn it?"

"This? It was a gift from God that I received at my birth. I've had it since I could remember." She replied sadly again, making him decide to stop trying to have a conversation. Before they knew it, a church stood in front of them.

"Is this the church you wanted to go to?" He looked at it and saw no signs of it being used recently.

"Yes, I am sure this is the one." Asia began moving towards the church as the doors suddenly opened, allowing two people to walk out.

"Are you miss Argento?" The man, Keith, asked her as the second person, Raynare, looked at Issei.

"Yes! I'm Asia Argento."

"Come on Asia… let's help you get comfortable." Raynare stopped looking at Issei and walked to Asia, letting both women to walk in the church as Keith walked up to Issei.

"Kid, I want you to go, and never come here again. You're lucky that I'm here, otherwise they'd be ready."

"What? Who's ready for what?"

"It doesn't concern you at the moment, but please do not return here. Inside this church are 3 people with power you couldn't comprehend."

"Uh… ok?"

"Good. Now you should probably leave. Judging by the clothing you are wearing, you attend a local school, and you may be running late soon." He turned around and began walking to the door as Issei looked at him in confusion.

"Jeez… If I didn't know any better, I'd almost say you're related to Mr Hikari with how you act…" He turned around and began walking. Before he could take the stairs down, a hand had grabbed his shoulder.

"You spoke of a person named Hikari just now, did you not? Is his name possibly… Saka Hikari? Emerald eyes and black hair?"

"Yeah… that's him… you know him?"

"…yes. I know him, but I'll leave our relation to one another to your imagination. Next time you see him, please tell him to meet me in the forest just east of the church on the night of a new moon. Tell him a Kugeki requested his presence." With that, Keith turned around and went inside the church, leaving a confused Issei outside.

"What was that about?" Before he could question anything, he heard a bell off in the distance, causing his eyes to widen. "Agh! I'm going to be late!" And then he ran as fast as his legs would let him.

 _Scene Transition…_

* * *

"Mr. Hyoudou… this is the third time in the span of a week that you were tardy to school. Can I get an explanation as to why it happened this time?" Sona Shitori looked at the boy in front of her as he scratched the back of his head sheepishly.

"I'm sorry president Shitori, but I found a nun earlier today, and she barely understood any local language as she was going to a church nearby, so I took it on as my civil duty to guide her there and-"

"You can stop now." She touched her forehead to think about his explanation before looking at him again. "I will excuse you this once since you helped a member of the church, but don't let me catch you tardy again. Understood?"

"Yes Ma'am."

"Good. Now get to class." He nodded as he grabbed his bag and left the students council room to head to his class. He entered and took his seat as he began thinking.

' _What did that guy mean by I shouldn't return to the church? Is there something happening there? If so, is Asia in danger?_

 _But why was Saka there in the park last night? Did he have a reason for being there?"_

"…dou…"

 _'_ _What's going on now? First Hinshi tries to kill me, Saka apparently finds me in a park on the other side of town, and then that church… It didn't feel right.'_

"Mr. Hyoudou!" The voice of the teacher forced Issei out of his thoughts as he stood up in surprise.

"Yes sir!"

"I'm glad I finally got your attention. Now please answer the question."

"Oh.. uh… 46?"

"Mr. Hyoudou, I asked you what a 12 sided polygon is. Motohama, please answer it for him." A boy with glasses stood up and adjusted them as he looked at Issei with a smirk.

"A 12 sided polygon is a dodecagon."

"Thank you. Now, Mr. Hyoudou, please pay attention next time."

"Yes sir." He sat down as the class continued.

 _Time Transition…_

* * *

The final bell for school rang as everyone was packing their stuff and preparing to head home. Issei stood up and turned towards the door, only to see a flock of girls screaming in joy.

"It's him! It's our prince!"

"Kiba, please go out with me!"

"Sorry everyone, but I'm here for someone." The blond haired boy had moved through the fan girls and walked to Issei. Everyone was shocked to see the prince of Kuoh Academy go to the most normal boy in it. "You are Issei Hyoudou, correct?"

"Uh, yeah. That's the name I was given."

"Good. My president would like to meet you."

"Your… president? Wait… you mean the president of the Occult Research Club, THE Rias Gremory, wants to meet me?!" Everyone was thrown off from what they said.

"Yes, she would like to meet you. So if you would, please follow me." Kiba then turned around and left the room with Issei following him, leaving behind a group of fan girls mumbling incoherently. They left the main building as they crossed the field, entering the old school building.

They went through the old, but well maintained hallways as they entered a room. The room had a Victorian style to it, 2 couches, a table in the middle and a desk in the back with some bookcases against the walls. On one of the couches, sat Koneko Toujou, the nicknamed mascot of Kuoh Academy as she ate a plate of sweets. Behind the desk was Rias Gremory, and Akeno Himejima beside her.

"Thank you Kiba. Now, Mr. Hyoudou, please have a seat." Kiba moved off to the side and stood behind Koneko and Issei sat down on the couch opposite of them.

"Kiba said you wanted to see me for something?"

"Yes. I want to ask you, Issei, what do you know of the mythologies of the world? This includes the text from the bibles."

"What I know? Uh… I know there's a place called Heaven and a place called Hell. One has Angels and the other has Demons, but why is this important?"

"What if I told you that all of it was real? From local legends to ancient text."

"I would say I want proof of their existence." He looked at them all in curiosity as he closed his eyes. He heard the sound of something unfurling as he opened his eyes and they widened in shock from the sight of everyone else in the room having black, leathery wings that matches those from a bat from their back. "What the hell?!"

"Allow me to introduce you, Issei. I am Rias Gremory, heiress to the Gremory Devil family, and everyone in here are all Devils." He stared at them all in fear before a thought entered his mind.

"Wait, if you all have wings from your backs, does that mean you guys are related to Hinshi? She grew a pair of black, feathery wings instead."

"Hinshi? Ah, you must mean Hinshi Tamashi. No, for you see, she is actually a Fallen Angel who was assigned to kill you. You see, everything supernatural related, and not the show, is real. The Angels reside in Heaven as Devils and Fallen Angels reside in the Underworld, which is commonly known to the Human race as Hell."

"A… Fallen Angel?"

"Yes. You see, a very long time ago, God created the Earth with the Humans and by his side were numerous Angels. In time, due to a dispute over the Human race of how he praised them more than his own children, the Angel known as Lucifer left Heaven with Leviathan, Asmodeus and Beelzebub with nearly a third of their Angels and they became the first Devils.

Following after, another Angel by the name of Azazel fell from Heaven since he committed the sin of lust, thus becoming a Fallen Angel. Since there was no other realm for the Fallen Angels to go to, they reside in the Underworld with the Devils but they all follow an organization called the Grigori.

Eventually, a war broke out between them all which led to the deaths of thousands, possibly even millions of Devils, Angels, and Fallen Angels. Of the Devils who died, Lucifer, Beelzebub, Leviathan and Asmodeus died. Later 4 high ranking Devils took the titles of their fallen brethren to lead the Underworld to a more peaceful state after the Fallen Angels withdrew from the war.

Due to the immense drop in population for the Devils, and due to our very low fertility rate, Lord Beelzebub invented a system that allowed Human to be reincarnated as Devils. This system came to be known as the Evil Pieces, and they are modeled after chest pieces with 1 king, 1 queen, bishops, 2 rooks, 2 knights, and 8 pawns. They are normally given to High Class Devils, which I am. As such, everyone in here is a member of my peerage, the term we call a group of reincarnated Devils and their master."

He stared at them in silence before his mouth opened. "Then why would you want me? I'm the most average person in the school. There isn't anything special about me."

"That's where you're wrong. You see, you actually posses a gift from God, a Sacred Gear."

"A gift from God? A Sacred Gear? Like… a pair of rings that a person can use that can heal almost any wound?"

"Ah, so you know of the Twilight Healing Sacred Gear. You see, at birth, a Sacred Gear is placed in a random person and is then attached to your soul. These Sacred Gears come in a variety of uses and appearance, as some are for offense, while others are for support. Some even boost the power of the user, but 14 Sacred Gears rise among the others in their power. They possess the power to kill a God if used correctly, so they are named Longinus class Sacred Gear.

All 14 of them include the True Longinus, the very spear used to kill Jesus, Zenith Tempest, Annihilation Maker, Dimension Lost, Elemental Shackle, which is however lost as no host has appeared for over 100 years, Boosted Gear, Divine Dividing, Regulus Nemea, Canis Lykaon, Sephiroth Graal, also known as the Holy Grail, Incinerate Anthem, Absolute Demise, Innovate Clear, and Telos Karma.

They are all very rare as a host for each one pops up only once every generation, but due to the mass of the Human population, it is incredibly hard for a Devil to find one. Sacred Gears are also given to Humans, and Humans alone as God believed they deserve a fighting chance if his lost children were to attack them."

"That's… a lot of information to take in right now…"

"Yes, and I want you as a member of my peerage because I believe you have a Sacred Gear. I am uncertain of what it is, but I know it is there."

"Wait, you want to turn me into a Devil? … what are the pros and cons?"

"Hm, smart boy. The good part of becoming a Devil is eternal youth, a lifespan that lasts almost forever, a stronger body with stronger senses, and the unlimited potential of growth in strength. The drawback however is that you cannot use the name of God in vain, nor can you touch anything holy related. Crosses and holy water as some of the most devastating things a Devil can come into contact with. You will also develop a weakness to light. At first, sun light will drain you temporarily, but your body will get use to it in time. Now, I know this is a large amount of information for you to think over, so I'll give you until the night of the new moon to give me a reply."

"I have until Friday to give a reply?"

"Yes. If you decline, we will acknowledge your decision and let you live the rest of your life normally. If you accept, you will become a proud member of the Gremory Household."

"I… I'll think about it…"

"Very wel. Like I said, I will respect your decision. Now, Issei, do you know anything of a 'Saka Hikari'?" Rias asked him as he looked at her.

"Saka Hikari? As in, my neighbor across the street with black hair and green eyes?"

"Yes, that Saka Hikari. You see, I've been monitoring him since he was attacked, and I've found something interesting about him."

"What? Is he a Devil? Or is he a Fallen Angel like Hinshi is?"

"No, we have not even the faintest clue as to what he is other than he may be a member of the unknown faction who fought in the Great War alongside the Devils, but I am asking if you know what he can do."

"N-No. I don't know what he can do. The one time something weird happened and he was there was when I was finishing my date with Hinshi at the park. I fell asleep but woke up on a bench and he was standing there." He recalled the last night as though it was perfectly fresh in his mind.

"Do you want to see what he is doing? As a Devil, we are allowed to have Familiars, and my Familiar is following him as we speak."

"Isn't that… and invasion of privacy?"

"Please don't look at it that way. I only have my Familiar follow him when he leaves his house, so anything that happens in there will only be known to him."

"Ok… then… what is he doing?" He asked that and saw Rias growing a smile on her lips.

"Well, let us see." She created a magic circle in her hands as a screen came through. The screen turned on to reveal Akihibara in a dark color as something flew by the screen, clearly on rooftop level. From a roof came a figure that was jumping from roof to roof.

"Get back here with my cat!" They heard the yelling of one Saka Hikari as he jumped from a roof, landing in the light from a nearby billboard to reveal his dark colored hair and his sprinting figure.

He slid under the billboard and immediately jumped over a cooling unit. He was chasing some sort of giant bird that tried to take him when he walked down a dark alley as a shortcut to the station, but instead it grabbed Kurai when he ducked and she didn't fall down fast enough.

He jumped from the roof to the next one, grabbing the ledge and quickly pulling himself up as he ran after the creature again. He jumped on top of the railing around the roof and jumped upwards to try and grab the creature's leg, only to barely miss as he fell onto the next roof, which actually collapsed under his feet from it being an abandoned building.

He groaned in pain as he laid there for a second before shooting up and jumped through the window, breaking the remaining glass it had as he grabbed a pole nearby and spun around with it, performing a flip as he shot back up to the roof.

"What the heck… is he an Assassin?!"

"No, Assassins typically wear black clothing, yet he is wearing bright colors."

"No, I mean't the ones from the game series. You know, Assassin's Creed?"

"Never heard of it." Everyone else in the room replied at the same time as Issei had a sweat drop on the side of his head before turning back to the screen.

He was still running after the bird creature until he came across a street between him and the next roof. He looked around quick before moving back and running forward and then jumping. Everyone in the clubroom looked at the screen in interest.

"It looks like he might not be able to make the jump. It's a shame that Stray made off with his cat." Kiba said that as everyone seemed to nod in agreement until Saka's legs glew for a second, replacing his combat boots with his armor boots as he was suddenly propelled upwards, and he was propelled again as he made the jump, rolling onto the next roof before running again, this time glowing slightly as lightning was sparking very slightly.

"Did he just…"

"He cleared a jump no parkour master could ever do, with some sort of… double jump."

"But now his speed… it's increased as his body is releasing static. Perhaps the lightning he has inside of him is stimulating his muscles to move even faster." They watched in silence as a black suit began forming around his figure, covering everything but his head as the rest of his armor formed with his cloak and his helmet forming.

"Jeez… Is he from the Splinter Cell with that helmet?"

"The what?"

"You guys don't game too much, do you?" They all shook their heads as Issei let out a sigh.

Saka ran up a ramp that was on the roof and jumped, propelling himself further with his thrusters as the creature flew higher, but he didn't stop as he propelled himself again then using his hand to reach out and grab the air in front of him, performing a short distance teleport that actually put him behind the creature as he took a knife out and stabbed the bird, grabbing its feathers as he held on to the now falling creature.

The creature fell into and open lot as Saka jumped off, right after he kicked the creature into the ground to cause more damage.

"I need a distortion field up, asap!" He said that as the lot suddenly began to waver before both he and the creature disappeared and was replaced by the sight of the empty lot. Everyone looked at the screen in worry.

"Did… did he put up a barrier?" Akeno looked at it and was curious into what he did as Kiba stood up.

"No… it looked more like he set up some sort of… device to make it where only the combatants inside can see what is happening. What's bad is that no Devil is in control of Akihibara since it's Angel territory, he may die due to the stray being a Low class who was almost worthy of being Middle class. If he dies, the Angel in control of the area might take him and make him an Angel."

"If that happens, I will have full authority to either kick him out of my territory, or kill him."

"What?! But he's there fighting that… THING! Can't you all go and help him?!"

"Issei, we can't go beca-" She stopped talking when the lot appeared again as the creature was sent flying into the air as Saka was on the ground holding a rocket launcher that had an eagle on the front and matching designs on the barrel as he fired, sending the rocket into the bird. It exploded, but the rocket also seemed to have split into smaller pods that flew into the bird, causing even more explosions that tore it to shreds. A single grey bishop was falling from where it died as Saka grabbed it with the swipe of his hand.

"Another bishop? Damn, I was hoping for a queen piece this time… yeah, yeah. Another potential threat is dead, so I shouldn't be complaining, but I've nearly built up half a set at this point… Yeah, we're missing a queen and king for half, but this is the fourth bishop…. Whatever, just take my armor off, please." His armor disappeared in a quick flash of light as he stretched his arms, putting the chess piece in his pocket as a cat ran to him.

"Nya!"

"Really? I just saved you from being eaten or something and you are asking me to get you a better bed? Spoiled cat…"

"Nya! Nya nya!"

"Ok, fine. But you're not getting my bed."

"Nya."

"Ugh… I swear. Oryx of all things was easier talking compared to you." He grabbed the cat and left the lot as the screen turned off.

"He… he seems to care about his cat greatly. Even risking his life against a Stray that would be Middle class had they remained under their king."

"… And he looks like a cat whisperer." Issei looked at Koneko as he heard her finally speak, but he saw the reason why is because she also seems to have run out of sweets.

"He definitely is a very interesting person. With power like his, I am sure he would help my peerage gain the respect they deserve. You see, as a young High Class Devil like myself, many other Devils look down on us due to our youth and inexperience. What we lack in power, we make up in teamwork. This is because I don't see members of my Peerage as servants, instead I see them as an extension to my family. Now, you are free to go, but please do think it over."

"Yes ma'am." Issei stood up and left the room as Rias narrowed her eyes on his figure leaving from the window.

"Akeno… please tell me you didn't feel it too."

"I'm sorry Rias, but I did. He has it too."

"That's another one we'll have to worry about upon reincarnation. Why are the two people I'm looking into have to have that sensation on them?"

 _Scene Transition…_

* * *

Issei was now walking home. It took him until the sun was starting to turn orange to reach his house, but down the street, Saka was about to pass his home.

Remembering what the man at the church told him, he waited until Saka was close to him before speaking to him.

"Hey… uh… Saka…"

"Hm? Oh, it's you. You need something?"

"A… uh… a guy at the local church said he wanted you to meet him at the forest east of it. He told me to tell you a Kugeki wants you."

"A… what? Did you just say a Kugeki wants to meet me?"

"Yeah… the guy had glasses on with a weird shade of black and blue hair. You know him?"

"Ohhhh… you have no idea…" He was actually holding back anger now as Issei turned around and went to his house. Saka had his right hand twitching as he walked down the street to get to his own home, mumbling something about a guy. Both were unaware of Rias' Familiar watching them.

* * *

See you all next time!


	6. Chapter 6

Onto the questions from last chapter:

 **NuggetMuncher:** Your question will be answered near the end of the chapter, so please read.

 **Guest:** He will find a way, just I'm changing the way I did it previously.

 **Jebest4781:** I already had Rias say that Ise has the same thing as Saka, so he will NOT turn Devil this time around.

Also, to the people who questioned me in the messages about how Nekoshou were able to hide from Ghost's sensors, it's the fact they are manipulating their ki and chakra to match that of a cat and not something humanoid. Also, science and magic don't mix. That's been a running trend for many things, and I believe it.

As always, I do not own either series as they belong to their respective owners. I only own Saka, Keith, and Elemental Shackle.

* * *

Chapter 6: A Warlock, a Hunter, and a cat

'Let's see… Saka Hikari. Age: 19, looks 17. Hair color: black. Eye color: green. Height: 5.8. Weight: 140-180. No doubt, this is him.' Arashi spoke to Keith, who was sitting in a chair reading a book. He took his glasses off to wipe them as he stood up, closing his book.

"Good. Kyle and I have been worrying about him for the past 5 months when we heard he was missing in action. To think he stumbled into a Vex gate and ended up on Earth in the past." He went to a nearby desk and brought a wipe out as a small surge of light appeared next to him, bringing forth a Ghost in the shell of the Iron Banner.

"What I want to know is how a Vex gate took him and his Ghost to the past. We traveled with him to the depths of the Vault when we received a report of a signal deep within that led us to the remains of Preadyth and his Ghost. All the files and recordings we found off it spoke of how when a Guardian is exposed to time, they die." Keith began wiping his glasses as he listened to Arashi.

"Yes, but those files also showed to us that we can control time, and this has been proven when Preadyth sent us his gun from the past through a code."

"Ah. To be fair, however, Saka had to help me dive into the Vault and take out Atheon's eye, then deal with the Gravekeeper in the Garden. In all honesty, the City needs him for who he is." Keith finished with his glasses and moved to put them on.

The door to the room, however, suddenly burst open. He was surprised from the door opening, causing his grip on the glasses to no longer exist as they fell to the ground, both lens cracking as he heard the sound. Raynare rushed to him with worry on her face with fear as he looked to the ground.

"Arashi... was that the sound of my glasses again?"

"Yep."

"For Light's sake… give me my contacts for now, repair them later." He gave an annoyed sigh as a case for contacts appeared in his hand and his glasses disappeared with Arashi. He put his contacts on and turned to Raynare, seeing the worry on her face and fear in her eyes. "Raynare, what's the emergency?"

"It's… It's Dohnaseek!"

"What? What's wrong with him?"

"I… I thought he was a 2 winged Fallen Angel… He actually has 4!" This caused Keith's eyes to narrow as he looked at her.

"Blast… this means the escape plan has been turned into another direction if he's more powerful than we originally thought. Out of curiosity, how do you know this?"

"I read this letter to Kalawarner from one of our leaders." She took out a letter and gave to Keith who began reading it.

 _Kalawarner, despite having Raynare with you and Mittelt, I'm sending one of my most trusted minions to help you acquire Twilight Healing from the nun. His name is Dohnaseek, a Fallen Angel with 4 wings. He will make it easier for you to deal with the Devils if they attack. Remember, kill Hyoudou and Hikari, then Kill Argento for her Sacred Gear. Also, the Elemental Shackle, I want it transported to me by the end of the month. I also inform you that the Knights of the Devil Order are in the area searching for a Stray, so keep your actions secretive. I do not want to lose a Sacred Gear as useful as Twilight Healing._

 _Your superior, Kokabiel._

"Kokabiel? As in the War mongrel you've told me about?" Keith now grew worried as his escape plan did not plan this.

"Yes, and he has 10 wings! If he arrives, he'd kill you with no hesitation because he hates Humans! We need to get you and your familiar out of here! We need to warn Hyoudou and Hikari too!" She sounded worried about their safety. Keith stood up and grabbed her shoulders to calm her.

"Raynare, we will leave now, but we cannot take Asia with us at the moment. If we can contact the Hikari, we may have a fighting chance against Dohnaseek." _'Unless of course, he uses IT against Dohnaseek.'_ He was certain about Saka, and his certainty spoke through him. Raynare looked at him in wonder before she calmed down.

"Ok, we'll go ask him to help us. Kalawarner is almost as agile as me, and Dohnaseek spoke of how annoying he was despite limiting his power. If you're so sure about him, let's go get him."

"Thank you. However, instead, I will send him a message to meet us somewhere. It seems I will have to meet with him earlier than I had hoped."

"Where?"

"…You'll see. Arashi, make contact with his Ghost."

'I'm on it. It will be easy considering we're the only Ghosts now.'

 _Scene Transition…_

* * *

Saka was lying down on his couch with a soda on the table and a cat on his chest. He was trying to relax in an attempt to calm down from Monday night due to what Hyoudou told him while listening to the sound of rain and thunder outside. Occasionally, lightning would flash and blind the sky above. He closed his eyes with the thought of lightning in his head

 _A Fallen Archon in the middle of the Cosmodrone looked up at a single Hunter with a machete in his hand falling down on top of him. The machete made contact with its shoulder, piercing the armor beneath as lightning struck the Hunter, coursing through his body now as the machete sent waves of lightning into the Fallen while electrocuting him from within._

He opened his eyes again as he remembers the pain it is to be struck by raw lightning. Being bed ridden for 5 days was boring. It was one thing to deal with raw lightning, but dealing with a Stormcaller was an entirely different story. Especially a naturally born one.

"I swear… I hate that Warlock almost a tenth as much as I do Osiris…" He took a sip of his drink while listening to his favorite show on TV: Tom and Jerry. Despite being an adult, he still loves the classics. Occasionally, a smirk would appear on his face due to the show.

"You said you hate Osiris as much as the fury of a battalion of pissed off Sunbreakers, so you hate Keith as much as a pissed off squad of Sunbreakers?" Ghost looked at his Hunter who only looked at the orb of mechanized Light.

"Close. A Fireteam of pissed off Sunbreakers."

"He is your cousin, in other words your only family in this time. Shouldn't you at least treat him kinder at the moment because he is the only person you can call family right now? Kyle may still be in the City if he isn't trying to hit on Holliday again." This caused Saka to let out a small chuckle while letting a slight smile appear.

"I swear… that guy is desperate to get a girlfriend. He'd have a better chance with marrying a Thrall."

"I wouldn't say that about him… maybe a Hive Worm." Now Saka was chuckling.

"No... he'd be better with Omnigul."

"No, I think Malok would be a good fit for him." And then Saka covered his mouth. Ghost looked at him as Saka moved his hand away slowly.

"Ghost… that one is just… disgusting… I threw up a little in my mouth because of it…"

"Sorry, it was the only thing I could think of that was more disgusting than Omnig-" Ghost suddenly shut up in the middle of his sentence. Saka looked at him in worry as he tapped the orb.

"Ghost? You ok? You there buddy?"

"You are going to hate him." Ghost emitted a screen in front of him, showing a message marked in the corner with the symbol of a Warlock.

 _Saka, hopefully the Hyoudou boy told you of my presence in the area. If not, I am here. At this moment, me and an ally are in danger from Dohnaseek, the Fallen Angel you have no doubtedly encountered that wears a trench coat and fedora.  
_

 _He is a 4 winged Fallen Angel. Unless you know of how their strength works, the more wings he has, the more powerful they are. My ally and I were planning on taking a nun with us, since they plan on killing her the night of the new moon. They plan on extracting a rare item known as a Sacred Gear from her, however, Sacred Gears are binded to the soul. If they are taken away from their host, they die._

 _I am asking you to meet me on the west side of town, near the exit. I will be waiting with my ally and Arashi. If you come, you are agreeing to help me and her save the nun before she is killed. Afterwards, I will inform you of everything in this world that I have discovered, as there is a world in its own here._

 _-Your cousin, the Warlock Keith._

 _P.S.: It is only me here, Kyle was called out into a mission before I came to this time due to a Vex gate that was active on my mission to eliminate the Restorative Mind on Venus._

"…" Saka looked at the message in silence. Kurai looked up at her owner while Ghost retracted the screen and looked at his Hunter.

"So… you going?" He got no reply as Saka stood up, grabbed a Crucible jacket and walked out the door, not even bothering to move the cat from his chest. "I'll take that as a yes." Ghost then disappeared into a small flash of light, teleporting to his Hunter.

…

"Odd… I could've sworn I heard the clanking of knight armor."

 _Scene Transition..._

* * *

Rain was an annoying thing when you go outside in what is the middle of the night. As such, a Fallen Angel and Human sat on a bench with an umbrella in his hands, covering them both.

"You say he's your cousin? Neither of you look nothing alike!" Raynare stared at the contact wearing man in surprise.

"He is. I also have a twin who uses some of the same combat moves he uses. They are called Hunters from where we're from." Keith reached into his pocket and pulled out a picture. The picture showed Saka, Keith, and another male looking just like Keith in a bar having a drink. "We often treated ourselves to drinks after succeeding in a Trial left behind by an old Warlock."

"What kind of… Trial?"

"Hmm… you know of those games where if you are hit, you are eliminated?" She nodded. "It is somewhat like that, only the first to eliminate the enemy team 5 times wins the game. If a team of three manages to win 9 games in a row without losing a single game, they are awarded with grand prizes."

"What are the prizes?"

"Well, there's-"

"KEITH!" A sudden yell towards Keith caught both their attentions. Saka was walking through the rain, wearing now drenched clothing while his cat was trying to keep herself dry from within. Keith smiled at the sight of his cousin and walked towards the Hunter.

"Ah, perfect! Saka, I am glad you-" Keith was cut off when Saka punched him in the head, knocking him to the side. Raynare gasped in shock from what she saw and ran to Keith. He pushed himself up and motioned his arm to have Raynare stop.

"Raynare… this… this is more common than you may think… can you set up a barrier so no one will interrupt what is about to happen?"

"W-Why? He just punched you! Shouldn't you be more worried?!"

…!

"No… This is a situation where we can fight." Keith stood on his own two feet again as Saka glew white, being covered in armor.

Keith knew the armor, as it was the Vex plating Saka took from their adventure into the Vault of Glass when the Vanguard registered it as a potential threat with the power of Atheon deep within. Keith actually smiled at the sight while Kurai jumped away and dashed to Raynare, taking cover under the umbrella with her.

"I honestly should have known this would happen." Keith began glowing too, changing into his own armor. A black robe with stripes of yellow around it formed on his chest while a shirt formed underneath, the front hanging downwards with a white color as a similar sun symbol appeared on his chest and a black mantle with a neon green collar embedded with gems formed around his neck. White wrapping appeared and coated his hands with another sun on the back of his hand as three rings appeared and a black armor piece styled like Saka's covered his shoulder. Black pants with white padding for knee guards appeared, similar padding appearing around his boots and a neon green color covered the tip of his foot as two more sun symbols formed on his knees. His helmet had two matching neon green colors covering his jaw and two Hive pieces protecting the sides of his head as the rest was covered by an unknown substance that gave off a small glow. A bond formed on his left arm with black colors and a Hive like face with three glowing eyes and white flames.

(Just picture a Warlock wearing Trials gloves, boots, and chest with a Harrowed Mouth of Ur for his head with Ascendant plane for the shader and Worm Gods' Boon for the bond. This'll change in the future though as I styled him after my Warlock.)

The rain stopped falling as Raynare created a barrier and fled behind a bench with Kurai by her side. Both Guardians were staring each other down as guns formed in their hands. Bad Juju for Keith, and Thorn for Saka. Keith reached into a pocket inside his robe, pulling out a single bullet from a pulse rifle, flipping it into the air.

The bullet flew high into the air, spinning from his flick. It reached the height of his travel, gravity taking effect and lowering it to the ground. It hit the ground, and bounced back up, coming back down and getting stuck between two bricks.

Both Guardians raised their guns, but immediately turned to their sides and fired. The bullets flew across the park, coming in contact with a blood red circle that just appeared.

The moment Raynare saw the circle, her blood turned cold. Kurai also saw the circle, but instead of showing fear, she began backing up.

The circle disappeared, suddenly making 3 people in dark red knight armor appear, one with a long, flowing cape. Each one had a chess piece symbol on their shoulders. A rook, bishop, and knight. The rook one had a large great sword, the knight had a dagger, and the bishop had a large stick with a blue crystal at the top.

"Intriguing. Humans with the powers of Angels that have the ability to see through even our best invisibility spell. If I may ask, how did you know we are here?" The knight, the one with the cape, stepped forward while the bishop raised his staff towards the Warlock and the rook was eyeing down the Hunter.

"I won't give you an explanation, but I will say because I know when, and where from, I am being watched." Saka began walking towards Keith, who walked towards him while they both kept their guns trained on the armored men.

"Lower your weapons. We mean no harm, unless provoked. We are on a mission to eliminate a Stray Devil in the area. She is a SS-rank criminal who has committed a horrible act of murder." He reached behind his cape and pulled out a roll of paper, unrolling it to reveal a wanted poster… that looked like it was drawn by a five year old. Inside their helmets, both Guardians sweatdropped.

They couldn't make heads or tails of the picture. The top of the head was black, so possibly black hair. There seemed to be two pieces of the hair sticking out above their head in an abnormal fashion. The face looked to be colored white, so they could somewhat identify their skin color along with two yellow dots for eyes. What they assume to be clothing appears to be something that didn't cover the triangles that were their shoulders and was long enough to reach their feet. It looked open at the front of stickman legs with a pair of lines coming out from the back.

 _"_ _Keith…"_

 _"_ _Yes?"_

 _"_ _Is it possible to bleach my mind of this image? For as long as I live in life and in the afterlife?"_

 _"_ _No, sadly. As disappointing as it is, we may never be able to forget looking at that… THING they call a picture."_

 _"_ _Ok… just wanted to know. Since honestly… I feel like round two is about to start up in my stomach."_

 _"_ _Round two?"_

 _"_ _Imagine Kyle. Now imagine him and Malok as lovers._ " The Warlock then covered the spot his mouth would be while letting out a not-so-nice noise.

 _"_ _Never give me that image. Again. For as long as I am alive and not be revived."_

"Now, have either of you seen or heard anything of her?"

"Uh… no sir. I can't really say we have." Keith gave an honest answer while Saka began tracing the lines of the colors, trying to see if his mind would be able to picture the figure better than what it was drawn out to be.

"Perhaps more elaboration is in order. She is the Black Cat, Kuroka. SS-ranked criminal. Charged with killing the King of the peerage she was a part of in an act of insanity. She has been evading judgment for little over 3 years, but we finally received a trail of her being in this town. As Knights of the Devil Order, it is our sworn duty to hunt down this Stray Devil and end her life before she can-"

"SIR!" The bishop yelled at the knight, causing him to turn around.

"What is it, Edward?"

"That's her! She's right there! The black cat next to the Fallen Angel!" The bishop pointed at Raynare's direction, but more accurately at Kurai.

"SWEET MOTHER OF LUCIFER, IT'S HER!" The knight and rook took out their weapons and raised them at the cat that now looked at all three in worry. "Edward, do not allow her to escape! Sano, hold her down!"

"Yes sir!" The other two men then readied themselves. A blood red circle appeared in front of who was supposedly Edward while the 'Sano' man began dragging his great sword behind him.

Saka let Void power enter his hand, creating two smoke bombs, but each one for a different purpose. He threw one between all three men, blocking their vision while throwing his second one at Kurai, releasing a quick puff of smoke that turned her invisible.

"Kurai, or Kuroka, whatever the hell your name is, book it!" He yelled at the cat. In a second, the sounds of small paws running on brick rang through the park, soon being replaced by the sound of sandals hitting it instead. When the smoke cleared, the rook and bishop waved off the cloud of dark Void power. The knight…

"You shall not escape judgment, fiend!" He ran behind the Guardians, the same direction Kurai ran. Above them, lightning was cackling across the dark sky as rain began pouring again.

"Saka, I will remain here and take care of these two." Keith began walked towards the two men, pulling out the hilt of a sword. He also pulled out a small cartridge with a purple mark on it, clicking a button that made it disappear. Instantly, a blade shot out from his handle, emitting a stream of Arc power across the metal it was made of. "Bolt Castor and I have some catching up to do."

"Fine… just remember not to Resurrect yourself. I've seen some crazy shit these past few months, and these guys are on that list. Keep your phoenix wannabe powers to a minimum." Saka then turned around and began running after the knight. Keith smiled under his helmet as he sighed.

"I don't need to use my Solar powers… I just need to call the storm." He placed both hands on his Arc sword, both hands cackling with lightning themselves.

The rook ran in at a slow rate with his great sword, raising it high above him and bringing it down. Keith easily dodged the attack since the Titans in the Trials were faster than that, suddenly shivering as he remembered the Sunbreakers. He flushed the thought out of his head as he used his open palm to send a jolt of Arc power into the man.

His muscles reacted in response to the Arc lightning. His right arm had entered a state of spasms, unable to be used on his sword. In a state of rage, he grabbed his sword with just his left hand and swung at Keith. He jumped into the air, and used his Light to make himself hover in the air to avoid the sword. He used his own sword to retaliate, hitting the head of the man.

His helmet began vibrating at a rate that soon caused horrific sounds to hurt his head. Keith knew this was an opening, but he actually felt sympathy for the man.

"My apologies. Lightning is still a very volatile substance for me to harness, sometimes enhancing my muscles to do strange events like the one I have caused. As such, I am sorry." He gave the man an apology, but he ignored the apology and tried to use his bare fists to slam Keith into the ground.

In response, Keith snapped his finger, causing a bolt of lightning to come down from above and hit the man. Wearing metallic armor, it hurt him even worse as the rain strengthened it further.

"I see… so Devils truly are weak to Light. Saka and I just may have a chan-"

"Thundaga!" The bishop finally released an attack from his circle, shooting a yellow bolt of lightning being covered in even more lightning outwards and hitting Keith. The bishop seemed to jump into the air in success, believing he has just defeated the Warlock. "I can too beat Angels!"

"Hmm… this is interesting." The voice of Keith spoke, causing the bishop to turn around and nearly wet his pants. The Warlock was now releasing small pulses of lightning around him while it cackled around his body. The lightning also seemed to generate a magnetic force that kept him off the ground. "I had no clue being struck by lightning from a Devil would force me into the trance."

'Remember, you first shot lightning out of your hands when you were struck by lightning in the middle of an Arc storm on Mars.'

"Ah, yes. I cannot believe I forgot about that. Well, I do suppose I must be ending this, though it went too quickly for my liking." He turned to the Bishop, letting Arc lightning shoot out from his hands and into the man. He dropped his staff, falling to the ground when the lightning ended. Keith flicked both his hands, sending away the lightning while landing on the ground. He decided to walk to Raynare and give an explanation.

"F… Fool…" The bishop spoke, despite the pain his body felt.

"Hmm? Oh. You still retain your consciousness. Impressive feet, I must say."

"Your friend… the cloaked one… our leader… Samantha will kill him…"

"Samantha? So your ally is female. I must say, she has a masculine voice."

"No… his name is Samantha…" The bishop then passed out, joining the rook in a land of black. Keith…

Giggling could be heard from the Warlock. "Oh dear Light… that… that sounds funnier than it should be. A man named Samantha who is a Devil? This will keep my mind entertained for the next week."

 _Scene Transition…_

* * *

"These footprints look like metal boots and sandals… they both point this direction." Saka stood up from the mud as he followed the trail of footprints. He was really glad now he learned those tracking methods from Cayde.

'I'm picking up two heartbeats north by north-east. I'm also picking up two slow heartbeats back in the park, so Keith took care of his two.'

"To be fair… it's Keith." He stepped through a bush to follow the tracks as he kept his eyes glued to the prints. His motion tracker wasn't helping him at the moment because he couldn't register either of them as friendly or enemies in time, so he's seeing multiple grey dots moving around. Including a pair that seems awfully close to each other with the top seeming to move forward and back in quick success-

He then turned off the motion tracker because it picked up animals mating. Disgusting, honestly. Just as disgusting as a Ghost shell that came with a shit detector, but that is a story long since passed.

'Remind me to upgrade that to a mini-map that has thermo-vision with a mapping system one day.'

"Noted." He then proceeded to act as though it never happened, walking through the woods around him to find the knight and his cat. He had to do it quick, or else the trail will turn cold due to rain washing away the prints. It was useful for few things. Silencing his silenced guns, his Super sounds, increasing Arc damage, or even weighing down an enemy. But when it kills the trail he follows, he hates it.

The tracks were still fresh as he followed them. The occasional lightning flash would brighten the area to reveal his dark armor. He wanted to hurry since he still had a cousin to question and a bed to sleep in after the day. Now, he also has a cat to question. The sound of rapid footsteps was also not improving his mood-

He turned to the source and pulled out a knife, using it to block the dagger that came close to his chest. Quickly, he kicked the knight in the abdomen, forcing him away while he took out his sword.

"We've been monitoring you. A Human given far more powerful light compared to Angels suddenly appearing in the world and no Devil ever hearing of him before. Your very existence has caught the attention of multiple Devils in the Underworld, even Lord Lucifer himself. You've been harboring the Stray for nearly 2 months, but we failed to recognize her for that long.

If you stand aside and let us deliver judgment upon her, you will be spared and, if you are lucky, a chance of a meeting with Lord Lucifer in trial. Choose your answer and tell me."

Saka only stood there, eyeing down the knight in front of him. He threw the knife in his hand upwards, catching it by its blade and then throwing it at the knight. The knight simply stepped to the side, but Saka used the hidden string he has attached to his knives to pull it back and angle it to hit him in the back.

The knife flew behind the knight, skidding across the back of his armor while cutting his cape off. It fell off his perch on his back, landing in the soaking mud beneath while he caught his knife. Saka clicked his tongue, knowing he failed to hit anything that would remove his armor while the knight began laughing.

"Hehehe… hahaha! So, you accept death. Very well, I shall bring judgment down upon you and the Black Cat!" He took one step forward before vanishing into a blur. Saka lost his composure when he saw the man vanish before something hit him in the back, forcing him forwards. Something hit his front, causing him to stumble back as the knight appeared at his side, hitting him with the handle of his dagger.

"Hmm… normally my blade would have cut through thin armor like that with a single cut. Whatever it is made of, it must be highly resilient to magically enhanced stainless steel."

"Ohhh… you have no clue what this metal goes through." Saka stood up and lunged forward with his sword to decapitate the knight, only to watch as he disappeared again. He looked around for a moment as he put his knife away and placed his left hand on the ground while keeping his sword ready.

'He's moving at an insane speed… but you've seen something move faster than him.' Ghost spoke to him as he nodded. The rain from above kept pouring down, but all sounds of the forest were canceled out by his ears as he waited for the one sound he needed. He closed his eyes and stopped breathing as he used his patience to listen for the one sound.

A single splashing sound came from nearby as he immediately turned to his side and intercepted the dagger by blocking his arm from reaching him while swinging his sword to cut the knight, but he vanished again. Saka lowered himself to the ground again and prepared himself.

Another splash came into his ears as he instead flipped backwards and threw his sword at the knight. His sword had cut something from behind the knight, releasing his chest plate to fall into the mud. Again, the knight was laughing.

"Kekeke… the more pieces you cut off me…" He practically teleported right in front of Saka with his dagger aimed at his abdomen. "… the faster I become." He then thrusted the knife forward, but Saka intercepted the attack by raising his right arm as the blade cut through the uncovered clothe on his forearm. He felt the cold, wet steel come out from his limb as he covered the new wound with his free hand. The red liquid dripping from his hand onto the soaked ground beneath him.

'Don't worry, it's just a bleeding wound, so we can patch it up in an hour or less.'

"Hey… who the hell are you. Don't give me any bullshit about 'being an ally of justice' or like that. I want a name."

"Hmm… you will die, so giving you my name will be of little consequence. My name is Samantha, member of the Knights of the Devil Order, and a middle class Devil. My dagger has also been enchanted to being nearly indestructible from any supernatural or Earthly elements."

"… Your parents were expecting a girl when they named you, weren't they?"

"How did you know?!" He sounded completely shocked to hear Saka say that as he shrugged his shoulders.

"Lucky guess." Saka then jumped forwards and brought his sword down, but Samantha blocked it with his gauntlet. The sword broke through the gauntlet as Saka then used his head to ram into his gut. He was forced down to the ground as Saka then prepared to stab him through the chest, but a blood red circle appeared in front of him, blocking his sword while he got up and turned into a blur from his speed again.

Saka had finally grown annoyed by him as he sheathed his sword and channeled Solar Light into his right hand, preparing for a Golden Gun. Instead, a purple mist had erupted from what looked like nowhere, covering the area. He looked at the strange mist in confusion before a message popped up on his HUD.

 **WARNING: TOXIC AIR DETECTED**

 **INITIATING AIR FILTER**

'Dear Light… these levels of toxicity are high! The filter is able to clean the air like this is nothing, but without your helmet, the gas would kill you. It's almost as bad as mustard gas… just in toxicity, not with the whole melting of flesh.'

 _"_ _Ghost, what's the danger level of it?"  
_

'By my readings, I would say that even a Titan would die of intoxication within moments of breathing this in. However, they also say that it's... weakened? Enough for knockout gas.'

Coughing and the sound of something hitting the mud caught his attention. He turned to its direction to see Samantha suffocating from the mist.

"Damn… it… I… forgot about… her damned… Senjutsu and Youjutsu mastery…" He then fell face down on the mud as the rain poured over him while the mist spread out wide enough to begin disappearing. Saka sheathed his sword and removed his helmet, his hood protecting his head from the rain. He moved to Samantha and flipped him over, placing his hand over his left chest.

"Still has a beat… and his chest is rising and lowering." He reached behind him and pulled out a knife, prepared to slit his throat as Ghost appeared and blocked the blade.

"If you kill him, who knows how much trouble you'd get in! We don't know what a 'middle class Devil' is, but it sounds somewhat important. Besides, you didn't take him down… your cat did. And right now, the only heartbeats I'm picking up within a mile radius is you, Keith, his friend, and these three. Kurai, Kuroka, whatever we call her now, she's not here."

Saka had to disagree with that one. Deep down, something was mixing with his instinct, causing both to tell him of a pair of eyes watching him. He turned around and looked upwards at a tree branch while pulling his hood down.

"I know you're there. I won't explain how, but I do. I'll give you a choice right now. You can leave me and we never meet, nor speak to each other again, or you go home first and bathe. I already had the scent of wet cat in my house twice." He didn't move at all as Ghost flew next to him. In a second, the feeling of something brushing against his hand caught his attention. He smiled as he pulled his hood back up and he shook his head to get the rain out of his hair.

"Was… was she actually there? That shouldn't be possible! I would've picked up her heartbeat if she was there!"

"Ghost… what we are dealing with defies all rules of reality and logic that we've come to know. Angels, Fallen Angels, Devils… those monsters we've been encountering. It looks like I stepped in some deep shit."

"That... might be true. We've poked our noses in this all too much to back out now I guess. It looks like this won't be the end of any of this for a while." Ghost then disappeared back into his mind as Saka began walking. Ghost opened a menu in front of him as he began swipping some things around on it before he came to a message board.

 _Keith, I'm sending you the address of my house. Meet me there and bring your friend. We'll be using it as a base until we initiate a rescue operation on the girl in the church. Till then, I need you and her there. I'll give more info upon arrival, till then, hurry._

He pressed the send button as the message was then forwarded to his cousin. He crossed his fingers and popped all of them before putting his arms behind his head and releasing a tired sigh.

"Fuck my luck…"

 _Scene Transition…_

* * *

"This… seems rather large for a single Guardian and his Ghost." Keith looked around the house in bewilderment while he adjusted his now fixed glasses. Saka was still wearing his armor as he was burning off the mud from it and using it to keep his bleeding to a minimum. He was looking down at the entrance to his house, seeing what looked like an additional pair of shoes. A pair of black sandals with purple straps.

 _"_ _Odd choice of fashion you have there Keith."_ "Get a job you like, you earn good cash. That cash went to this house and everything inside. I'm not even bothering with insurance because I've got plenty of cash on the side."

"I see… so you've integrated into a life like this in half a year." Keith sat down in his living room as he saw a map of the church on the table with marks, notes, and other pieces of planning equipment lying across it. He looked at a notebook to see the amount of plans Saka has written for infiltration and ones he crossed out, knowing they would fail.

"So… your friend. Where is she?"

"She decided to return to the church. We think it would be suspicious if both of us were to leave, so she decided to stay and give word that I ran away. They all suspected that I knew of what they were planning, so they will believe that I ran away either in fear to get assistance."

"… Really? In that case, cross out plans 3 to 64 and 66 to 102." He then had his armor disappear Keith looked at the wound in confusion while Arashi appeared and was looking at all his plans.

"Did the Devil possess a weapon that cut through the armor?"

"Yeah… some weapon he says that wouldn't break against anything supernatural or Earthly. If I wanted to, I could've broken that dagger using my sword. He said nothing Earthly would break it, so I'm sure a sword with Spinmetal as the core covered in Relic Iron and Hadium while being hardened by Helium Filaments would cut through." Keith looked at him before picking up a pen and crossing out the plans Saka told him to while Ghost appeared and started conversation with Arashi. Something about the dangers they've encountered, but neither Guardian paid any attention to them.

He decided to go to his bathroom to get the necessary medicine he needs to make sure he doesn't get infected. He opened the door and entered, going for the mirror and opening it to reveal everything he needs to disinfect the wound. He began to slowly spread the medicine over the small, but still painful wound. Next, he wiped away the blood and threw it all away as he saw he got some of his blood on his shirt. He gave an annoyed sigh as he began removing it.

 _"_ _Ugh… I hate washing blood out of my clothes… should've worn red today."_ He turned around to throw his shirt into the basket behind him before he realized something else inside. He doesn't remember owning a black kimono with a red interior with what looks like another kimono, this one white underneath it and yellow obi. Nor does he remember having a set of golden beads attached to said obi or the pair of black women's underwear on top. Or the ornate headband on the counter.

"…" He stared at the basket before the door to the bath opened. There stood a woman who caused Saka's mind to immediately stop.

Long, black hair with split bangs that reached her enormous chest. Skin that held not even a single blemish anywhere atop a perfect hourglass figure that men would kill for even a single glance at. Hazel eyes with cat-like pupils that turned in his direction. Behind her, two black cat tails that were dripping wet had their hair hanging downward while a pair of black cat ears that perked up when she noticed his presence. Everything important being covered by a single towel that barely clung on to her.

 _"Oh... so this... this is Kuroka..._ _"_ His mind barely got that out as it suddenly went blank. Though, the feeling of lightheadedness was also there. He was completely shocked at seeing her like this.

"Hm? So my protector wanted to get a peek, nya?" She moved her hand to the edge of the towel on her hip, lifting it up to show him more of her skin. But now his head was really getting light. "You could've asked and I'd show you something, nya."

It was then everything went dark for the Hunter as he dropped his shirt to the ground and fell backwards on his head. His wound had a small amount of blood still leaking, but he forgot to make sure he didn't lose too much. She, however…

"Hm. That's a new one."

Saka really wanted to question everything about what he got himself into.

* * *

He passed out from blood loss, not embarrassment. Also, the air filter thing is a reference to the one helmet in Destiny that I forgot the name of, but spoke about how a Hunter breathed 6 times the lethal dose but the filter purified it all.

I'm still planning something for when Rossweisse appears in season 3, but that is a long time away.

Remember to leave questions in reviews and I will answer them when the next chapter is updated. See you all next time!


	7. Chapter 7

Questions from the last chapter:

 **Guest:** Yes, Raynare will be with Keith. I planned this since I got rid of the Harem plan for Saka.

 **Other Guest:** Why would he kill an Angel? Unless that Angel tries to kill him, why would I have him kill one?

 **dvilleza:** No, there will be a Titan, and he will make an appearance in the next chapter.

Also, for the guests, can you guys alteast come up with random names to help answering you questions easier? I'm sure it will be somewhat weird when I refer to you all as 'Guest' in the answering spot. So, to prevent such confusion, please come up with whatever name you think sounds awesome.

Also, some ideas I've had and said in the past will be altered. Some you may know of at the moment, but others you may not realize. One idea takes place at the end of the chapter.

As always, I do not own anything as they belong to their respective owners.

* * *

Chapter 7: A talk and trouble

 _2 months ago…_

 _Saka was walking down the street, whistling to himself while using an umbrella to protect himself from the heavy rain from above. Normal people would run through it to escape the falling drops and keep themselves dry, but he liked the rain and would always like to prolong his exposure to it. Especially in his helmet since the sound of the rain hitting it sounded like music to his hears, but he couldn't wear the helmet in public. He hasn't gotten to the train station for the train back to Kuoh, but he knew he had time before the train arrived to the platform._

 _He turned into an alley to actually take a longer route, slowly walking down it. Rapid footsteps through the water beneath him caught his attention, looking down to see a pair of dogs running and going down another alley. He decided to ignore it, knowing how pointless it is to mess with stray animals, but the dogs began barking down the other alley._

 _Curiosity getting the better of him, he went down the alley to see 4 dogs barking at a completely soaked box. Again, he wanted to ignore it, but the box suddenly shifted backwards. He raised an eyebrow at the action before his mind began putting a few things together._

 _He decided to close his umbrella, letting the cold water from above pour down on him as he snapped his fingers, causing Solar Light to spread over his hand. He jumped between the dogs and the box, holding his flaming hand in front of them. Being the naturally timid animals they are, they were backing away before running away._

 _He extinguished his hand with a flick of the wrist as he turned to look at the box. He grabbed the edge of it, but it then fell apart. Instead of landing flat against the ground, something blocked it from doing so. A small, furry head of black fur popped out from the side, looking around the alley with a pair of hazel eyes until they landed on the Hunter._

 _The small cat backed away from him, carrying the soaked box remains on top before falling off. Its fur clung to its skin while its tail was practically dragging against the ground. Its behind touched the brick wall behind it while it was eyeing him down, giving off a hiss at him. Instead of ignoring the cat, he outstretched his free hand to it in a friendly gesture._

 _The cat didn't see it as a friendly gesture as it bit his hand, causing him to wince from the small, feline teeth puncturing his skin. Being the tenacious Hunter he is, he didn't pull his hand back from the attack by leaving it there. The cat let go of his hand from its teeth as it looked up at him, wondering why he didn't leave._

 _In response to it, he smiled at it. He looked at the cat with a smile while keeping his hand out. It looked at him before looking at his hand, slowly approaching the outstretched limb and touching it with its paw. When he felt the soaked fur touch his skin, he angled his hand to rub the cat's head with it._

 _It began purring from the sensation of his warm hand touching its small head, possibly because of how cold it was due to the rain. He re-opened his umbrella, covering himself and the cat as he stood up. The cat looked up at him before jumping on his leg and climbing up the limb. It climbed all the way up to his shoulder, using its hazel eyes to stare at his emerald ones._

 _"_ _Come on. Let's bring you to your new home." He spoke to it while it nodded at his sentence. He then left the alley and headed for the station._

 _Last night…_

* * *

 _That is how Saka remembers finding his cat. He believed he found a very intelligent cat because it was able to understand him completely, and even seemed to be able to tell what he was thinking on some occasion._

 _Now, he was staring at the black haired, cat like beauty in front of him, wearing a white kimono that stopped at her thighs and hung from her arms, but she also it opened around her shoulders while giving view to what would be a scientifically impossibility back in the City. It did not help that she wasn't wearing anything to cover her black underwear that could be seen slightly. There was also a matching shade of white obi tied around her waist._

 _He was rubbing his forehead to try and let his brain process everything she told him. Devils, Angels, Fallen Angels, Gods, Youkai (like her kind, Nekoshou, apparently a sub-species of Nekomata that had a higher affinity for something called Senjutsu and Youjutsu), magic, everything supernatural based was real. And apparently, the monsters he's been killing were called Stray Devils. His cousin had actually blindfolded himself due to his more gentlemen nature to give her privacy. He was already blind as a bat without glasses or contacts, but the blindfold gave him pure darkness while Ghost was closing up the wound to prevent him from losing blood again._

 _"_ _You've been taking this pretty well so far, nya. Do you both have previous experience?"_

 _"_ _Previous experience? With this crap, no. With everything we faced back home, maybe."_

 _"_ _Back home?" She placed one of her fingers against her lower lip, seeming to think about something. "Now that you speak of it… what are you two, nya? Nothing like you has appeared before, nya, so I'm curious about what my former owner is."_

 _"_ _What we are?" Keith spoke, but wasn't going to be taken seriously if he just turned his head to the wall. Both of the darker haired people in the room looked at him with deadpanned eyes. "Saka, as she is your cat, I believe you have the right to that explanation."_

 _"_ _So your wussing out on telling her what we are by handing me the baton?"_

 _"_ _I did not say anything about wussing out on anything."_

 _"_ _Whatever… wuss." He whispered that part to the point only a Hunter or animal could hear it. He heard Kuroka snicker while he took a deep breath. "Alright… I'm going to keep it short. We're from a race of endangered Light-infused Humans. Not like the holy light you say Angels have, but Light that holds vast possibilities with what it can do._

 _Among our kind, some have stronger affinities to the Light, and they become what we are: Guardians. We are divided into three classes, consisting of Hunters like me, Titans, and Warlocks like Keith. As a Hunter, we serve as scouts and, well, hunters. We focus our power on skill. Titans are the brutes of our kind, but only 65% of them use their heads instead of their fists. They are the ones who defend those who cannot defend themselves. Warlocks are the smartest of us all, always finding new ways to manipulate Light. However, most also seek forbidden knowledge._

 _I also guess, much like those 'Stray Devils,' we too have members who either abandon our fight or decide to kill fellow Guardians. We call them Rogue Guardians, and they are damn well dangerous because they have access to powers just like us. When we receive a report about one going rogue, we are to hunt them down and either capture or kill._

 _Anything else is info that I can be killed for giving any non-Guardian, and I'd rather not kick the bucket yet. Now… tomorrow is the night of the new moon. In other words, I have a rescue mission to do with Keith to get both Raynare out and some nun with one of those Sacred Gear things out of the grasps of Fallen Angels. If you want to help, go ahead. If not, don't eat the sandwich I have in the fridge."_

 _"_ _Saka, hold up one moment." Keith undid his blindfold and stared at his cousin through his glasses with an unsure look. "She told us of how the Devils have their peerages and how members of them disobey their king and either leave or kill the king. Not only have the Knights of the Devil Order said she was a Stray, she also admitted to it. As your cousin, I worry about you. So I want to know why you are putting faith into someone who would kill another being."_

 _"_ _He's right, you know." She put her own input in the conversation as both Guardians looked at her, Keith looking away so he wouldn't stare at anything he didn't want to see. "I've killed my master, nya. I'm criminally insane, yet you're trusting your life with me. I want to know if you're either a crazy fool, or an idiot."_

 _"_ _Either or. Right now, we're having a perfectly sane conversation, so that rules out you being insane. Over the two months you've also been in this house, not once have you tried to attack me other than the few times you cut me with your claws. You had plenty of chances to kill me, yet I'm still alive. In my book, that's enough to trust someone… despite the fact you were a cat the entire time." He then stood up from his chair, but a bright light appeared in his hand and a certain case came out. He threw it to Keith who caught it and looked at it quizzically. "I sure as hell ain't going to use it, so you can." He then left the room and headed for his own._

 _He needed rest for the night, as tomorrow was the day he would commence what would feel like a mission._

 _Present…_

* * *

And that is how Saka remembers the events of last night. He sighed as he walked through the café, carrying an order for the mute man who paid another visit.

"Here you go sir. I hope it's to your liking." He bowed to the man before leaving to pick up another order. His mind was racing at speeds that would surpass a bullet train with how quick he was thinking of ways to properly understand everything he got himself into. Humans with super powers and Aliens are science fiction, but Fallen Angels and Devils are supernatural. He was part of what would be a polar opposite of the supernatural.

'You know, if you keep worrying about this, you're going to start growing grey hair.' The voice of his sentient companion spoke out from inside his mind as he visibly flinched from hearing Ghost.

 _'_ _Yeah, whatever. I'm just worried about what we'll have to face if we keep going down this path… a God, maybe even God himself if I do something stupid. Hell, maybe even Lucifer if I do something to the Devils.'_

'Now you're overthinkng it. First, you would have to do something to piss off a God for them to come in and try to kill you. Next, you'd have to do something tremendously noticeable by the Angels for God himself to come kill you. And even if you did, there's no guarantee he will come, he has the Seraph among the Angels. Finally, you'd have to do the same thing with the Devils for Lucifer, or even noteworthy Devil to come. Like break his captured souls out of Hell, if we ever go there that is.'

 _'_ _So long as I don't find a portal to Hell on Mars, I'll stay out of Hell.'_

'How does a portal to Hell from Mars affect anything? In fact, why would a portal to Hell be on Mars? Hell would be on Earth, so again, why Mars?'

 _'_ _Don't… just don't look into it.'_

'No, no. Now I'm concerned about what my Guardian thinks about. I may be in your subconscious, but I can't read your real mind properly. So, please elaborate why a portal to Hell would be on Mar- how does she keep doing that?!'

 _'_ _Keep doing what?'_

"Oh Saka~."

 _'_ _Oh.'_

The Hunter turned around to see his manager walking up behind him with a bright smile on her face, but deep down, Saka's senses began telling him that there was something… odd about her. He's had the feeling for the past few months since he started working for her, but it didn't feel as strong as it did now because she started to release an aura of innocence.

"Do you need me for something, Gabriel?"

"Yes, I was hoping I could talk to you about something."

"Sure. What for?"

"Oh, well…um…" She looked to the side as she tried to come up with an excuse without telling everyone in the café. She perked up when she came up with one and looked back at Saka. "I still plan to take you out on that date like I have with the others."

"You're… going to keep this up until I say yes, aren't you?"

"Yes, I won't stop until then." She looked at Saka with eyes that spoke of her determination as he sighed. He had to admit, she was tenacious about wanting to take him out. Sadly, he had other plans.

"Sorry, but my cousin recently moved in with me. I have to help him with a few things this weekend."

"O-Oh..." Her expression instantly turned sad, a frown appearing on her face. A sense of guilt formed inside him, but lying was not something he was new at.

"Sorry... but... yeah... In fact... I... I don't think I can go on a date with you, even if it's between manager and employee. I... have some... issues when it comes to getting close to women."

"Oh... I... I see... Then... I won't ask again until you are comfortable. I'm... sorry for bothering you." She began walking away as his guilt was growing. Something about her made him develop a large sense of guilt, and he couldn't figure out why.

Unfortunately, everyone failed to notice a customer had spilt their drink a while ago and a small puddle of tea was on the ground.

The moment she stepped in it, she lost her footing from the puddle and slipped, releasing a yelp that Saka heard nearly instantly as she fell forwards. He turned around and reached out to grab her from behind with one hand going in front and the other grabbing her arm.

He grabbed her and pulled her back to her feet while still holding on as she looked at him, growing a light blush on her cheeks.

"Are you okay? I reached out without thinking much." She looked at him in surprise with how fast he acted before her cheeks turned brighter red.

"I-I'm fine… it's just… c-can you please let go of my breast?" She spoke in a timid and embarrassed tone as he looked at her before trailing his arm from the shoulder to the hand.

And he saw his right hand had cupped her right breast. His expression instantly became one of shock as released her from his hands and looked at his right one. His cheeks lit up like a headlight before looking around to ensure no one saw the event as he bowed at her.

"I-I'm sorry! I-I didn't mean for it to h-happen again!" He was greatly embarrassed because of what he did as he lost his cool and calm demeanor. This was the second time an event like this happened for both of them as he was the one more embarrassed, but then startled when she put her head next to his and whispered in his ear.

"Thank you." She backed off from him with her bright smile as she realized his cheeks were red. "Oh, Saka. You're so cute when you blush!"

"W-What?!" This startled him even more as he looked to the side and scratched his cheek while his blush diminished back to the regular color. "It's just- well- uh- I mean…" He then lowered his head in defeat. She giggled from his reaction before walking off, still with a light blush of her own as she entered her management room.

Once alone, she looked at the mirror she has to the side before crossing her arms beneath her large breasts, emphasizing their size as she looked at them.

"I hope Michael doesn't find out… he would destroy poor Saka in seconds in place of Father."

While with Saka...

'So about that portal to Hell on Mars...'

 _'Will you just can it!'_

 _Scene Transition…_

* * *

Raynare was walking through the underground catacombs that was the Fallen Angel base beneath the church as she was looking for a certain blonde nun. She knocked on the door to the room that was given Asia, waiting for a reply.

"Asia? It's Raynare." She knocked again, but still no reply. "I'm coming in Asia." She opened the door to the room to see no nun in it. Only a bed, desk, dresser, and the suitcase Asia has her clothing in. Raynare looked around the room in confusion, wondering where the young girl went.

She left the room and decided to speak to Kalawarner. She has already healed from the wounds the Hikari man dealt to her because they weren't life threatening. Only a few bullets that were easily pushed out by her regeneration rate. She arrived at the door of the older Fallen Angel and entered.

"Kalawarner, I was-" She stopped herself mid sentence when she realized the blue haired Fallen Angel wasn't there. The room was empty of anyone but herself. She left the room and closed the door behind her. Hesitantly, she decided to go towards Dohnaseek.

She went down to the bottom floor, holding both cells and a large room that would be used as the room where the ritual would take place tonight. Atop a large structure in the back of the room was the fedora wearing Fallen Angel, seeming to be tweaking a large cross with chains on it.

She approached the only male Fallen Angel, feeling her blood slowly turning colder and chills running through her spine.

"Dohnaseek, where is Asia and Kalawarner? Neither of them were in their rooms." She asked him and he looked at her, a slight grin on his face.

"The Argento maiden? Here, I'll bring you to her." He stood up and began walking down the long staircase with Raynare following. They went through a long hallway that held what would be the barracks of the Stray Exorcists. Raynare shuddered at the thought of their most proficient one and his vulgar attitude.

They stopped at the room that they used as a dungeon. They entered the dim room and Raynare looked around for anything that would look like Asia. She stepped further into the room as a torch in one of the cells suddenly caught ablaze, revealing someone inside the cell.

"Asia!" Raynare ran to the cell to look at the former nun who wasn't conscious. She looked at her in disbelief before footsteps echoed from the hallway, and a certain blue haired Fallen Angel entered.

"Dohnaseek, I know where to find the boy. It'll be easy taking him when neither of the Devil heiresses are looking."

"Good, good. Now, Raynare… you now know too much of our plan. Kokabiel didn't send me here to watch over you and this operation, he sent me here to steal the Sacred Gears these two runts have and kill that man. Seeing as how 2 of the objectives will be complete, I suppose the man will be left to live… until Kokabiel arrives in town with the Excaliburs he stole to kill everyone and the Devils." Dohnaseek had a more sinister smile attached to his face as he snapped his fingers.

From a door to the side, a man wearing priest clothing with white hair and red eyes entered. He carried a gun and handle in both his hands while the midget known as Mittelt entered from a door opposite of him. The priest had a psychotic look in his eyes as they all began approaching Raynare.

She backed up against the cell bars with her back touching the cold metal as Dohnaseek lunged forward and grabbed her by the neck, holding her off the ground as she was struggling to escape.

"Now… I won't kill you. If I did, I would have to deal with your father… no, instead, I will let Freed do what he wants with you." Dohnaseek then lowered her enough to where the much shorter man could hit the back of her neck, causing everything around her to turn black. Unaware to anyone in the room, a single red light flashed.

 _Scene Transition…_

* * *

Keith stared at the screen he has in his hands in anger from seeing what he just saw from one of the cameras he planted in the base. He gritted his teeth as Arc lightning would occasionally spark off him.

He wanted to go back to the church now to save Raynare, but he would need Saka's help to do so without worrying about falling in battle and leaving Arashi exposed. But he knew far too well to not disturb Saka in his sleep. He was forced to wait until tomorrow to commence the rescue operation.

Not only was Asia's life on the line, but now Raynare's was too.

He shot up from his chair and left the house his cousin owned as he ran as fast as he could to find Issei.

"Arashi! Where is the Hyoudou boy?!"

'I'm scanning… and… he's in a park. If you make a B-line for Kuoh Academy, you'll see the park.'

"This is bad!" Keith ran as fast as his legs would let him as he rushed to the park to find Hyoudou. He would push anyone out of the way, saying 'sorry' to them as he kept running. Despite this, he knew he wasn't as fast as Saka, causing an ill feeling to develop in his stomach.

His legs were not trained in the form Saka did his, limiting his running speed to only that of the regular Warlock, and they are not fast. He ran through the streets of each neighborhood every block that was in his way until he came to the side of the park. In a hurry, he jumped and channeled his Light to initiate his Glide, lifting him upwards.

He landed in the center of the park and looked around. There wasn't a soul there with him as he looked everywhere.

'Keith, there's something in the fountain.' Arashi told his Warlock as he went to the fountain. Thee, he found the bag of one Issei Hyoudou, soaked to the brim.

Arc Lightning cackled on his arms and spread onto the bag, accidentally setting it ablaze and turning it into nothing but ash as Keith clenched his fists.

"Arashi, bring out the case."

'Are you sure?'

"Yes." The case appeared from a bright land on his hands as he opened it, revealing the green, draconic gauntlet. He pulled it out of the case as he dropped the container to the ground and put it near his left arm.

He looked at the gauntlet hesitantly, swearing something within it was daring him to put it on. He accepted the dare as he slid the gauntlet on to his arm, inserting his fingers to the claw like appendages. He clenched his fist within the gauntlet as the yellow gem glew for a second.

Then, brief pain entered his body. It felt like the first time he channeled Arc lightning, but also leaving a burning sensation as he held onto his hand within the gauntlet. He raised it to the air and slammed it into the ground, somehow controlling it with the action as well as calming it. The chains rattled from the gauntlet merging with him as they wrapped their way up to his shoulder, digging deep into his skin as he now punched the ground with the gauntlet.

The chains entered his skin and disappeared afterwards, along with the gauntlet as it finished its merging sequence. His hand was now red from the pain, but he clenched his hand one last time as Void Light formed from his hand, slowly adding up into the shape of a Nova Bomb.

"Dohnaseek… when I find you…" He then performed a Nova Bomb Lance, sending it flying across the sky as a purple orb of death towards the church, but he prolonged it in the air by sending it high into the sky, disappearing into the blue wonder above.

"…your death won't be swift." He then began his trek back to the house with fury obvious on his face.

* * *

I told you, I changed some of my original ideas. Like here, Keith will be the Elemental Dragon King instead of Saka. In place of the power he once held in the previous story, he will instead learn something else.

Saka will be performing trigamy, and everyone knows who the first two are. Good luck guessing lucky number 3.

Until next time.


	8. Chapter 8

Upon reading through this chapter, I saw there was no real need to revise any of it.

Holy crap the Rise of Iron looks awesome. Mutated Fallen, new armor and weapons, a new raid and more lore about the Iron Lords. It honestly sounds more awesome than what I got in the Taken King. Even the new area and community spot looks awsome! Especially Felwinter's peak. I always wanted my Guardians to climb a mountain in the heavy snow. Now i get to play that dream.

Now for questions:

 **Joking4ever:** No, she will not be with Issei. This is because I honestly dislike her completely and see her as a far too overrated character in the story. The Titan will also be getting a woman because we all love the guy. Also, both. Pineapples and oranges are delicious. Sometimes in smoothies also.

 **Omnix:** I still don't think it might be possible. Let's remember that all Angels were the offspring of God since they didn't have the Brave Saints back then, so they would then follow his will. If an Angel would not want a Human to have Light, that is equivalent to an Angel not wanting Humans to have Sacred Gears. I'm sorry, but I still feel like such an Angel would contradict themselves.

 **Guest:** I think you mean female Youkai, not Human. She was never Human.

 **CyberIona:** That's the thing, I know about my grammer and spelling issues and that's why I appreciate everyone's input about it. It helps me. Also, the harem thing is overused in a lot of stories, but I won't give him a massive one like every single girl in DxD like some people do. I mean, seriously... no way in hell could a man handle so many women. They'd die within the first few minutes, an hour if lucky.

Pairing votes at the moment for Ise.

Asia: 2

Akeno: 1

Koneko: 1

Irina: 1

Xenovia: 1

I will keep these going UNTIL I start Kokabiel. And I decided that the top **5** girls get him. Just remember, no Rias.

I own nothing as both series belong to their respectful owners.

Chapter 8: Operation Nightfall

* * *

Night had fallen on the town of Kuoh. Outside were a group of 4 ex-exorcists, each armed with a gun and sword handle.

"Tell me again why we're outside?" The first one asked as the other 3 turned towards him.

"Because the Fallen Angels are worried about that one guy coming back or the local Devils to try and interrupt the ritual underground." The third one answered him as the fourth one squinted his eyes in a direction.

"Hey, I think I saw something move. Stay here, I'm looking into it." The fourth left the group and entered the nearby woods. The second watched him leave before turning towards the first and third.

"Hey, I'm going to go and follow him. In case it's one of those Devils, I'll yell for you guys." He then left the ground, leaving it to the duo. The first turned towards the third, the third shrugging at him before they turned back to watching the door.

A dark figure fell from above, landing silently behind them both as he then hit a nerve in the back of their heads the side of his hand, knocking them out. The figure then pulled down their hood, letting their black hair out as he looked around.

From the direction of the first two exorcists, Keith came out carrying both of them, throwing them on their allies before turning towards Saka.

"So why do I have to not wear my helmet?"

"I want you to have full access to your sense of smell, since it is almost as good, if not better than a dog's."

"Whatever… Ghost, give me a visor." His partner complied, a white visor appearing on his eyes while he seemed to sniff the air. "One more ground level… I can't tell what's lower though. Too many to properly identify."

The Warlock nodded as he pulled his hood back up. They then approached the door, Saka touching it in examination. He turned towards his cousin and nodded, but Keith stepped back, seeming to wait for something. Saka looked at him as he looked upwards, into the sky as his eyes followed.

He saw what he was looking at and backed away from the door. From above, Keith's Nova Bomb from earlier fell down, causing a large explosion that sent the door flying off the hinges and destroying a bit of the wall as the Guardians entered, letting their presence be known.

"Well, well, well… look who decided to return!" A voice spoke in a maniacal manner from inside the room. There, an exorcist with white hair and red eyes, carrying a gun in hand and a sword made of light in the other. "And he seems to have brought the other target! Dohnaseek is gonna be happy with me when I show him both your heads!"

"Saka, meet Freed Sellzen, a former priest corrupted beyond redemption." Keith pointed towards him as Bad Juju appeared in his hands. Saka raised a hand and is Fatebringer appeared while his other pulled his sword out.

"Pleasure to meet you, Freed. I hope you excuse our entrance, your buddies were a bit in the way so we had to let ourselves in."

"You mean those four wusses stationed outside? Hah! I wanted to kill for how many times they questioned me why they were outside! Now come on!" He raised his gun in the direction of the Guardians, licking his sword in a vulgar manner. "Let's dance!"

He pulled the trigger, bullets blessed with the power of light coming out of the barrel as both Guardians jumped to the side, using the benches as cover. Freed shot through the benches as both Guardians made their way quickly from behind them before reaching the end of the rows, standing up and taking aim.

Saka let his bullet fly from the barrel as Keith held the trigger to his pulse rifle, letting bullets fly from the barrel as Freed did something Keith thought only Saka could do.

He was cutting their bullets. The explosive round from Saka's weapon was cut in half, both pieces flying behind the priest and landing on the ground as their explosive powder inside spilled out. Keith's bullets were cut in half per burst, letting multiple bullets fall to the ground before he heard a clicking sound.

Keith fell back behind cover as Saka created a Smoke bomb and threw it at Freed's feet. The former priest smirked evilly, believing it to be a dud as it opened and emitted smoke. The smoke blinded him as he breathed it in on accident, coughing and waving his sword around randomly to get rid of the smoke.

The smoke dispersed as he saw Saka running in on him with his sword, so he reacted quickly with his own sword and blocked the strike. Saka let go of his sword as he tossed it into the air, spinning around to kick Freed. Freed reacted faster than Saka anticipated as he avoided the kick by jumping backwards and pointing his gun at him.

His sword fell back into his hands, now held in reverse as Freed shot, cutting the bullet in half as he fell back and behind the benches, this time getting into a prone position and staying low to move as Keith jumped out from his spot. He reached to his side, grabbing the hilt of his sword as it formed, lightning cackling along the blade.

Freed turned and shot at Keith, but he already tilted his sword, channeling his Arc power into the blade to create a barrier that blocked the bullets. He slowly walked up to Freed with his barrier protecting him as Freed kept shooting at it, soon hearing a click come from his gun.

"Shit!" Freed threw the gun off to the side as Keith saw the opportunity. Quickly, he channeled more Arc lightning into the blade, jumping slightly off the ground and spinning with his blade in a full rotation before landing down on his hand, sending a bolt of Arc lightning flying. Freed saw the attack coming for him and he dodged by jumping to the side. The bolt hit the wall behind him, leaving behind a small Arc storm that vanished quickly.

"Hey! Swords that shoot damn lightning are not allowed!" Freed complained about Keith's weapon, who simply raised his free hand to his helmet, specifically where his glasses would be as he then seemed to adjust and invisible pair.

"Sorry, but I do believe there are no rules in fighting to the death. Besides, honor is overrated." He then jumped slightly into the air again, sending another bolt of lightning at the former priest.

Freed avoided the attack again, but Saka appeared again from where he was hiding with his sword in hand and fired his gun. Freed cut the bullets again, but Saka got close and tried to slice. Freed intercepted the attack with his own blade, but Saka quickly turned while keeping his sword occupied and fired the gun.

Freed, seeming to posses inhuman reaction speed, jumped out of the sword lock from Saka and avoid the bullet. He looked at the Guardian duo before pulling out a thin canister.

"Fine! You can take care of my boss and rescue those kids, but I'm not dying here!" He pulled the pin and dropped it, creating a bright flash that temporarily blinded them both. They had to wait a moment for their eyesight to fix itself as they saw he had escaped.

"He's still nearby, making a getaway… but he isn't in the way anymore." Saka could still smell him close by.

"Leave him. If our actions gain the attention of the Devils, he will have to deal with them."

"Wait, the Devils? There are Devils in town?"

"Indeed. Devils often arrive to Human cities, supposedly marking them as their territory. Angels and Fallen Angels do the same, along with the Youkai, but they have a full city to themselves and they are content with it."

"Seriously? This is the Human world, can't they stay in Hell… or Heaven… or wherever they live?"

"I honestly wish. Now, we must hurry. Hyoudou, Argento, and Raynare are each in danger at the moment. Freed was assigned to do whatever he wants to Raynare, but I still fear what could have happened to her."

"Right." Saka turned and headed to the altar at the front of the room. He began pushing it slowly, revealing staircase below.

"Wait, Saka! That's-" Keith tried to warn the Hunter, but it was too late.

"OHHHH CRAAAAAAAAAP!" He had pushed from the wrong side of the altar, falling down the stairs while yelling.

"-the wrong way…" He sighed as he was too slow in telling him of the stairs before running down the long path himself. Once at the bottom, he saw Saka lying on his back and groaning slightly while his visor fell off.

"Next time… warn me before I start pushing…" He corrected his visor as Keith offered him a hand, taking it as he helped him back up to his feet. He looked around the corridor in front of them as he put his hood back on. "So, where to next?"

"Sadly, I do not know. There are two levels to the base down here, and I've only traveled some of the one we are on now. I do not know where everyone is stored right now."

"You said you have cameras planted all around their base, but now you're saying you don't know where we go?"

"Ok, I'll be honest, it was Raynare who planted the cameras for me."

"Son of a…" Saka gave an annoyed sigh as he looked up the stairs, hearing footsteps coming down from the sound of sandals hitting rock. "I am really grateful she is on our side for this situation."

"Oh really now? Nya?" Kuroka appeared from the staircase in her black kimono, but she also wore it in a very revealing fashion with the front open to show her legs and the top was around her shoulders, giving view to her large bust. "So I'm only useful right now, nya? Am I useless for anything else?"

"Depends on whatever skills you have, since I don't what yours are." He gave an answer that seemed to make her frown. Under his visor, he raised his eyebrow to why she was frowning now before she closed her eyes.

"Follow this passageway, at the end should be stairs. At it are 2 Fallen, and below is another Fallen who feels more powerful." She opened her eyes as the Guardians nodded, both turning around to start running, but Saka stopped halfway as Keith did the same soon.

Kuroka was simply walking without a care in the world, not bothering to speed up as the Guardians looked at her. She looked at them, raising an eyebrow.

"Hm?"

"Are you… not going to hurry?"

"Why would I do that, nya? I don't want to get my kimono dirty. It's the only one I have, nya."

"So… you're just going to walk… when we're in the middle of saving two-"

"3." Keith corrected Saka as he gave a silent thank you to him.

"-three lives right now, so you choose to walk."

"Why hurry? You both are more than enough to finish this, nya, so I don't need to hurry."

"Is there… any way we can make you move faster at least?"

"Hmm…" She put her finger to her lips, seeming to think about something before smirking. She walked forward slightly as she created a magic circle in front of her. She walked through it and her cat form had jumped out from the other side. She then jumped up to Saka's shoulder, somehow with her smirk still intact.

"That works… a lot better than I think it might."

The Guardians then turned back down the passage and ran as Saka had Kuroka on his shoulder. Saka, due to his Hunter training, was running faster than Keith as he slowly left him behind. He came to another set of stairs that led downwards, but the room around it also seemed rather large…

"Well, well, well… look who it is." A familiar voice spoke from above.

"Yeah, it's the asshole that kicked our asses!" Another familiar voice, both female spoke from above as black feathers fell from above. Saka looked upwards to see a certain blue haired woman and blonde midget. Keith caught up quickly and saw where Saka was looking, looking upwards himself to see the Fallen Angels in the air.

"Mittelt, Kalawarner."

"Oh, if it isn't Raynare's little boyfriend. She missed you, you know." Kalawarner spoke with an insulting tone as Mittelt snickered.

"Yeah, you should've been here when we finished having fun with her! She screamed out your name, hoping you would save her! It was hilarious!" Mittelt was laughing loudly, holding her stomach as Kalawarner was the one snickering. In his helmet, Keith was slowly growing an angered look.

"What have you done to Raynare?"

"Oh, if you want to know, we'll let you, and you alone pass through and go see her. There's no guarantee though that Dohnaseek won't kill you if he spots you, but go ahead and get your little crow." Kalawarner then turned towards Saka, both her and Mittelt looking at him angrily. "We want to deal with this annoying bastard for not only shooting me, but also kicking our asses."

"Why I ought to-"

"Fine, you both want me…" Saka pulled out his gun again, pulling back the hammer as he raised the gun towards the duo. "…come at me."

"Saka, what in the world are you doing?!"

"Keith, you heard what they said, right? She screamed your name during when they were having 'fun.' I say it's time you go be a knight in shining armor… or robe… or dark robe… you know what I mean! Just go and help her!" He drew his blade, ready to fight the Fallen Angel duo as they both created their light spears. Keith looked at him before running through the room and down the stairs, a magic circle then blocking the stairs and the way out.

"Now, Mittelt… let's take our time in making him suffer."

"Yes… let's."

"Aww… two against two, nya? Doesn't that seem a little bit unfair?" Kuroka spoke out as she made another circle behind her, jumping through it as she revealed her Nekoshou to the Fallen Angels once she stood up. "For you…"

They both looked up to the Fallen Angels, Saka spinning his sword in his hand while Kuroka had her arms crossed.

"You've got to be kidding! That cat he's had the entire time is a freaking Youkai?!"

"It doesn't matter! We'll just kill them both!" Kalawarner then threw her spear at Saka.

Saka responded by shooting the spear with his gun. One bullet didn't work, so he fired two more, breaking the spear from the explosive blasts as he shot again. Instead of hitting her, Kalawarner used her own spear to block the bullet before throwing it at the black haired duo.

Saka used his Shadestep to roll to the side while Kuroka took the hit, actually fading away to show that it wasn't the real her. As they were about to attack Saka, another Kuroka appeared as another, and another, and another one appeared before there were about 8 of them, each one a little wavy in some spots.

Each one raised a finger upwards and began to write dark purple symbols in the air. Behind each one, the familiar octagonal shaped magic circle for Senjutsu users appeared, each one creating a set of three blue, flame like orbs that were all sent flying at the Fallen Angels.

In a state of panic, both threw light spears at each direction of the duplicated Nekoshou, some spears going right through the orbs as Kalawarner was hit by the actually set, staggering her in the air and the illusion fading to reveal the real one as Saka saw it as an opportunity. Quickly, he took out Hard Light after sheathing his sword and gun, and pulled the trigger.

The Omolon factory special energy bullets shot out from the barrel of the auto rifle, all flying across the open room. Kalawarner heard the sound of the gun, turning towards him and using her spear to block the bullets. She held onto her spear with a tight grip as the energy projectiles came out of his gun, but its Exotic property also allowed the bullets to bounce off the sides of the spear, one bullet flying off to the side and actually hitting Mittelt in the back.

The smaller Fallen Angel yelled in pain from the bullet hitting her back and dropped the spear in her hands, Kuroka taking the opportunity to create another orb that she sent flying at Mittelt. The hit hurt her badly as she fell to the ground. Saka reached behind him, grabbing a Smoke and grenade, throwing them at the downed Fallen.

Once they hit the ground, the Smoke released its envenomed smoke, preventing her from going in the air again while also hurting her as the grenade exploded into a Voidwall, burning her with Void Light.

Kalawarner dove downwards to get Mittelt out of the smoke, but Kuroka had intercepted her by creating multiple orbs that began spinning into a circle, flying towards her and blasting her right in the face. The attack sent her flying into the wall as Saka grabbed another grenade, throwing it at Kalawarner to release a Vortex that began damaging her.

Both Fallen Angels cried in pain from the feeling of Void Light slowly killing them as the grenades duration ended along with the smoke. Mittelt flapped her wings to go airborne again, now struggling to keep herself up as Kalawarner fell to the ground, struggling to even stand

Saka watched the two Fallen Angels in pain, both struggling to even more. Mittelt created another spear in her hands as Saka decided to end her.

The room heated up around them all as Saka channeled his Solar Light into his right hand, raising it above his head in a bright flash of Light as he was coated in flames. In his hand was his trusty Golden Gun, just the weapon he needs to shoot and kill.

Taking aim, he pulled the trigger once he had his sight on Mittelt. The burning gun shot forth a bullet of burning Light, leaving a Solar red trail behind as it pierced straight through her body. The bullet also caused her to burn into ashes, leaving nothing but black feathers falling from above with the smell of embers.

Kalawarner's eyes widened in fear and shock, realizing just how bad the situation was for her. He could kill her with a single, well placed bullet. She tried to push herself up, but the heated metal of his gun was pressed against the back of her head.

"I'll give you a chance. Run away, never come back or even enter this town again, or I will pull this trigger."

She looked up at him in pure fear. She tried to stand up, but fell on her behind and slowly scooted away from him. She dispelled the barriers blocking the doors and ran for the entrance of the church.

Once he saw her fleeing figure disappear in the distance of the passage as he turned towards Kuroka, seeing her walk up to him while also swaying her hips. She got close to him and placed her hand on his chin.

"Each time you told me to run when you were fighting, nya, I didn't get the chance to see you do something like that." She was now examining him fully as he was wondering what she was doing. He was about to speak, but she moved close and then licked his cheek. It wasn't in a sexual way or erotic, more like a form of examination. His eyes widened slightly as his cheeks turned a slight shade of pink.

"Hmm… you still taste like a child." She placed her finger to her lower lip and seemed to think about something.

"W-What in the world does that mean?!" He covered his mouth as he realized his stammer, hoping she didn't hear it. Instead, she looked towards him with a look of realization.

"Oh? So you can be embarrassed, nya? So it seemed I just need to step up the game."

"Look… can you please tell me what you mean't by 'I still taste like a child?'" She looked at him, smirking as a pink blush appeared on her cheeks.

"What do you think about making babies?"

And he lost his composure.

"W-What?! H-How does that h-have anything to d-do with this?!"

"Oh, it's simple. The Nekomata race is on the brink of extinction, so my dream is to bring them back to glory. To do that, I want strong children, and for that, I need a strong mate. You are a one of a kind man with unknown power… I think that's enough for some powerful kids."

"W-Wha- but- huh?! N-No! Just, n-not now! Being a parent is not on my list of things to do!"

"Oh, come on…" She looked at him seductively, reaching up at the top of her kimono and pulling it down slightly, revealing more of her bosom as he swore he could see a small amount of pink. "Don't you want to have a go with me? Nya?"

"Just- for pete's- do you- gah! Just wait until after the mission to try this on me, alright?!" He was scratching his head in frustration, suddenly realizing what he said as he covered his mouth again, mentally punching himself.

"Hm, fine. After we're done here, I'm continuing this, nya." She turned around and began walking towards the staircase, still swaying her hips in an attempt to seduce him as she looked over her shoulder, winking at him before going down the steps.

Saka simply gawk at the direction she left as his mind was trying to piece everything together. Ghost appeared and looked at him with his one eye.

"… You know, perhaps being a parent wouldn't be a bad change for you. Plenty of Guardians back in the City have families they come back to everyday." Saka slowly turned towards his partner before covering his face with his hand, slowly sliding it down.

"Ghost… just… please… not now…"

"Yes, yes, fine… it's just you have the body of a young adult with your youth and the mind of a teenager." Saka lowered his head from the comment, grabbing the top of his hood and pulling it down as he began grumbling slightly, making his way down the stairs as his in-organic partner retreated back to his mind again.

"Freaking cat... teasing me like that… Thought you were supposed to be on my side Ghost…"

 _Scene Transition…_

* * *

Keith ran through the passages in front of him in his attempt to find and rescue Raynare. The passages around him changed from the more intricate designs of the first floor to the rocky walls and torches on the sides as he ran as fast as his Warlock legs would carry him.

He turned a corner and was greeted by the sight of a squad of exorcists. They all saw him turn the corner, each pulling out their weapons but he gave them little to no time to attack as he threw a Storm grenade, generating a small storm that shocked them all into a near death state.

His footsteps echoed throughout the passage as he ran.

'Do you even know where you're going?'

"Not in the slightest!"

'Well hold still for a second as I send out a scanning pulse.' Keith began slowling down as he stopped running, Arashi appearing beside him as his shell expanded with his Light as he sent out a pulse. He sent out another pulse to complete the scan as he retracted his shell.

"Ok… there's an abnormally large room with multiple life signs, Dohnaseek and the two Sacred Gear wielders included. On the other side I'm picking up the signs of Raynare… only… dear Light…"

"Arashi, what's happening to Raynare?! What's happening to her?!"

"No time! The passage is large enough to make space for a Sparrow, so get ready!" Arashi turned to the side as he sent out his beams, quickly constructing a Sparrow from digital memory and Light. It was fully black as Arc lightning cackled on the sides.

Keith got on his Sparrow, the EV-35 Arcrunner and grabbed the handles as he leaned down on it. He placed his feet on the foot rests in the back as he pressed the ignition button on the handle. The engine in the back fired up as he was propelled forward. He then pressed down the thruster button on the other handle, causing him to travel fast as the Arc lightning on the front cackled harder and with more power.

He rode the Sparrow at a much faster rate through the catacombs with Arashi guiding him. The duo turned around a corner to see a door, covered in chains. Keith opened a small compartment on the side, showing a red button that he pressed. The Sparrow began propelling itself as Keith jumped off.

It went straight into the door, exploding after he pressed the self-installed self destruct as he ran through the door.

"Raynare!" He yelled out while he looked around the room. There were cells on one side, metal bars and they were all open and one had a few pieces of dark clothe. On one side was a door with bars on the top and he went straight to it.

He looked through the bars to see a room that was lit on the side he looked in from, but pitch black on the other. In the middle of the room, he could see a person whose hands were chained to the ceiling while she also seemed to have long hair. There were also… red stains on the floor.

He shook the door while pushing it, trying to open it but it didn't budge. "Raynare!" He yelled into the room, and the person seemed to have moved slightly in response to hearing the name.

He stepped back from the door, grabbing the hinges it hung from as his hands were emitting embers. The hinges turned red hot as steam was obviously rising up from the metal. It began melting as he then pushed his fingers into them, grabbing both as he pulled the molted metal off the wall and door, grabbing the door afterwards and pulling it out of the way as he entered the room.

He created two grenades in his hands and threw them against the walls on the other side of the room, generating light from the Solar grenades lighting up the rest of the room, managing to light more torches on the other side. The room lit up fully in response as he was able to see who was chained, nearly instantly gaining a look of horror under his helmet.

She was covered in wounds, bleeding or not while her eyes were closed, signs of her having crying with the partially wet, thin streams on her cheeks while she was also missing her purple jacket. The worst spot of it all was her back with how bloody it was along with the stains on her dress. Keith then realized the small, black stumps on the back of her back, fearing what he may see if he examines the room fully.

Slowly, he turned around to look at the side of the room he entered from, stepping back as he pulled his helmet off, letting anyone see his gaping mouth.

"Dear Light…" Arashi was horrified slightly to see the wall.

"That… that… I can't… who… why would they do that?" Keith's mind could not comprehend what he was looking at.

Hanging from the wall, on both sides of the door were black, feathery wings, the size of a person as the feathers were dripping blood. They were horrified at the sight of that as they had instantly pieced together what happened.

Keith turned back towards Raynare and grabbed the chains around her forearms, pulling them down from the ceiling. All he was able to do was cause the ceiling to release a few small pieces of rock and dust to fall down.

Arashi emitted his beams on the chains restraining her, breaking them apart as Raynare fell down into Keith's arms. He slowly lowered her to the floor while holding her by the shoulders, shaking her slightly.

"Raynare… Raynare! Don't you dare tell me you're dead!"

Her eyes moved slightly, slowly opening them as her purple eyes looked up at the Warlock. "K… Ke… ith?"

"Raynare? Raynare?! What happened?! What did they do to you?!"

"My… my wings… they… they… they cut my wings off… why… why did they cut my wings off?" She was confused, seeming to be in a state of shock from losing something she's had for her entire life.

"Raynare, please listen to me. I want you to go to the ground floor, and wait there. Do you think you can wait there?"

"My wings… why… why did they… why did they take my wings? They… they're my wings… and they… they took them…" She couldn't properly reply to him.

"She's in too much shock to properly think right now… Keith, you're going to have to escort her up there."

"But what about Saka and Dohnaseek?! He will need my help to kill him if Saka doesn't use IT!"

"Look, we both know Dohnaseek isn't even worth IT. At best, maybe a Cadre level Fallen Angel is, but Dohnaseek is at best strong enough for you guys to use THAT on him."

"… alright, I want you to remain with her as I go back down to help Saka against Dohnaseek."

"Help him? He has an SS-class Stray Devil with him, I'm sure he'll be fine."

"…"

"Keith, you've known him for a long time. I'm sure you know who will win between him and Dohnaseek."

"…"

"Keith, take her to the ground."

"…I'm going to pass by Saka on the way up and hear what he has to say."

"Fine, just make sure you take her out after." Arashi then disappeared into his mind as Keith placed Raynare's arm over his shoulders and the back of his neck, helping her move.

 _Scene Transition…_

* * *

Saka ran through the passage in front of him, Kuroka on his shoulder as her cat form while he ran. She would raise a paw in a direction as he followed the direction.

He ran faster than his cousin could, cutting corners by grabbing the walls and sliding before he came across a large door. She jumped off his shoulder and assumed her Nekoshou form again.

He touched the door, examining it as he took out a small cube of grey material. He placed it against the door, flattening it on the door as he took out a small button. He ran away from the door, around the nearest corner as she looked at him with a curious look. He stared at her, standing beside the explosive he planted on the door as he signaled for her to come over.

She casually tapped the door, opening it slightly as he looked at her with a slightly dissatisfied look, walking over while leaning forward with a hunch in his back. He grabbed the material and took it off the door, placing it back in one of his pouches, grumbling slightly.

"Saka!" Keith came around the corner, supporting Raynare with his arm as they both turned towards him. Under his visor, he raised an eyebrow at her condition as Kuroka seemed to wince in imaginary pain from what Raynare seemed to be like.

"What… in the name of Light happened to her?"

"She… she was tortured, her wings cut off from her back." He looked at the door to their side as his face turned into one of anger. "I take it… Dohnaseek is behind there?"

"With a small army of exorcists."

"I see… Kuroka, I must ask you to please take Raynare somewhere safe. Be it the top of the church or Saka's house, I do not care… I want to be there, watching Dohnaseek meet his demise."

She looked at him, a quizzical look on her face before she sighed. "Give me the Fallen Angel…"

Keith complied, handing Raynare to her as Kuroka simply looked at her, a look of empathy on her face that confused the Guardians, but they couldn't ask about it as she created 2 magic circles. One on the ground that rose up, teleporting them both away as only the Guardians remained while the second one was against the door, purple mist seeming to seep out from the bottom.

"What in the world is this mist?"

"Don't breathe it in." Saka removed his visor as it disappeared and his helmet covered his head. "She can apparently change the toxicity of it, from knockout gas to something deadlier than mustard gas."

"Dear Light… I hope it's knockout gas at the moment, not the latter."

"Don't worry… keep your helmet on and we'll be fine." He turned towards the door and raised a hand, 3 fingers up as Keith nodded.

3…

2…

1…

They kicked the door open, the mist pouring out as they ran in.

Multiple exorcists were knocked out, all laying on the floor everywhere in the room with their weapons near their bodies. On the other side of the room was a large, pyramid shaped structure and at the top of it was a glowing green cross that Asia was chained to. On both side, Issei was chained to the wall as Dohnaseek stood on the other side.

"Hmm… I knew you would return sooner or later, but with the Hikari man too? You've saved me the trouble of tracking him down. However… I can also feel it… you have it now, don't you? The Elemental Shackle. You've saved me even more time so now I don't have to track it down, or try to find its new host if it had moved on." He looked down at both Guardians with a sinister look as they both pulled ou their respective weapons.

"The… Elemental Shackle? Is that one of those Sacred Gear things?"

"It is. One of the strongest, as 14 rise up above all others with their potential to kill a God. They are known as the Longinus class Sacred gears, and Elemental Shackle is one in the middle. Right now…" Keith raised his left hand forward, the armor on it disappearing as a green flash appeared, covering his arm as the gauntlet in chains appeared on it. "… I am its wielder."

"Not for long you won't!" Dohnaseek let his wings loose, all 4 emerging from his back as feathers fell. Keith pulled his gun up and aimed at Dohnaseek as Saka seemed to slowly back away, getting down to his knees as he vanished.

Dohnaseek rose into the air, spears in his hands as Keith pulled the trigger. The burst of bullets flew through the air as Dohnaseek merely raised his hand in front of the bullets, catching them as though they were nothing as Keith held the trigger.

The gun fired in bursts that were aimed at Dohnaseek, too many for him to do the same trick twice as he flapped his wings, flying around the room as he threw both his spears at the Warlock. Keith turned to the side and ran, but Dohnaseek started his assault by making more spears and throwing them.

Keith ran from the spears, each one hitting the ground and disappearing. He quickly turned around and raised the Elemental Shackle in front of him, looking as though it would shoot something out, but nothing happened. He looked at the gauntlet, trying to figure out how to use it in a short amount of time. Dohnaseek threw another spear, landing in front of him as it exploded, sending Keith backwards slightly as he had dropped his gun.

He looked at his now disarmed hand, looking across the ground for anything useful as spears came towards him. He dove to the side to avoid the spears, spotting an exorcist's gun and grabbed it. He flipped on his back to shoot Dohnaseek with the light bullets in its clip, the bullets aimed for his wings and hitting the large appendages, causing a very wound to appear on the impacts, small bleeding coming from the wings.

Dohnaseek released an annoyed grunt as he landed, creating a sword made of light. Keith pulled the trigger on the gun, only to hear a click as he threw it to the side, reaching to the side and pulling out Bolt Castor.

Unaware to them… Saka was at the top of the structure with a heated knife, cutting through the chains restraining the two teens as they both fell to their knees, looking up to him. "Kid, take her and yourself out of here, and don't look back."

"… Mr. Saka?"

"Yeah, it's me, but it doesn't matter right now as I want you both to run." He reached behind and pulled out a Smoke. "Take this with you. If you encounter someone who will block your path, throw it to your feet and make sure you're together. It'll briefly turn you both invisible for a few seconds as it can only be used once."

"What about you? Won't you be in danger?"

"Don't worry about me… I've fought much worse than him. Now run, and don't look back… it could get bloody." He stood up and brought out another Smoke, throwing it beneath them both as they suddenly turned invisible. "Now run!"

The sound of rapid footsteps running through the room echoed as Dohnaseek seemed to be angered when he heard them.

"So… your plan was to distract me as the Hikari freed Hyoudou and Argento. I should've expected that."

"Well, fighting a Fallen Angel with 4 wings would require a plan from what you've called… 'mere Humans.'" Keith swung his blade forward as Dohnaseek blocked it with his own, creating another that he swung down on Keith. Instead, Saka had appeared in front of him with his own sword, blocking the attack as he kicked him in the gut.

Dohnaseek stumbled backwards slightly as both Guardians swung their blades to the side, readying themselves as Dohnaseek glared at both Guardians. They ran forward, blades in hand as Dohnaseek ran forward to intercept them, all swinging their weapons down on the other as they were all deadlocked.

They decided to push the sword to the side partially, causing Dohnaseek to send his swords upwards as they both quickly spun and cut him in the chest. The weapons cut through his coat, cutting his flesh as blood shot out, covering them both in the red liquid. They merely raised their open hands to their helmets and wiped the blood off the spots they can see out, swinging their blades to the side again to swing the blood off.

Dohnaseek held the large wounds on his chest, using his magic to stop the bleeding as he then threw a spear at them. Keith tilted Bolt Castor to generate a barrier, blocking the spear as Saka ran forward and used Keith as a boost by jumping and jumping again from his shoulders, into the air as he channeled his Void Light.

He pulled back the arrow in his Shadowshot bow, releasing to let it go flying as it pierced Dohnaseek in his wounds, the anchor tethering him to weaken him. The smell of ozone soon filled the air, Saka switching his grip to reverse and swinging to his side again, covering himself in his Arc Light as Keith was sparking.

The gauntlet seemed to respond to his Light, the crystal and chains turning Arc blue as he channeled his Arc power into his hands, throwing a bolt of lightning into the ground as he hovered slightly above the ground, releasing pulse waves. Dohnaseek looked at them both in slight fear, trying to create another weapon of light or his wings, but to no avail.

Saka performed a Blink Strike to teleport the distance and cut down Dohnaseek. He released a scream of pain, but Saka punched him in the chest again to send him backwards, but Keith then released the Arc lightning that cackled through his body by using Saka as an extension, the lightning shocking him slightly as he twitched from the feeling of Arc lightning surging through him at an increased amount, but the lightning also shot through Saka and began electrocuting Dohnaseek.

Dohnaseek convulsed from the Light's affect on him before his eyes rolled into the back of his head, falling down face first on the ground and in a small but growing puddle of his own blood. Saka was twitched slightly from the amount of Arc having gone through his body, pulling his helmet off along with his hood and taking a deep breath.

"That… for… warn me… next time…"

"I apologize." Keith flicked his wrists, dispelling his trance as he bent down and picked up his gun, putting it away. "I had hoped you knew what I was doing."

"You shocked me! Just to give your lightning extra range! How in the name of Light was I supposed to know about this?!"

"Please, stop worrying about the details. In the end, Dohnaseek is dead, so we can leave."

"I… I hate it sometimes when you're right."

They both turned around, their armor disappearing as they left. In his puddle of blood, Dohnaseek's hand twitched slightly.

 _Scene Transition…_

* * *

Issei and Asia couldn't really understand what they were looking at.

On one of the benches, Raynare was resting with some of her wounds having healed. Beside her was Kuroka, arm on the side as she looked at the stairs with a bored look.

"Um… are you… with Mr. Keith and the man with a hood?" Asia was a bit timid at the moment from the sight of her along with what happened.

"The hooded one, nya." She stood up and turned around, a magic circle appearing in front of her. "Tell Saka I went home." She then walked through the circle, teleporting away as footsteps was heard from the stairs. From below, the Guardians walked up and out, standing in front of the stairs.

They stared at them both, the Guardians with their arms crossed while Issei stared at them silently, Asia though…

"Mr. Keith!" She ran to the Warlock, he grabbing her by the shoulders to stop her as she looked over him. "Are you hurt? Mr. Dohnaseek didn't hurt you, did he?!"

"Please, calm yourself Asia… Dohnaseek will no longer be able to harm anyone. Me and Saka have made sure of that."

"B-But what about Ms. Raynare?! Why is she so hurt?!"

"I wish I knew about that one. I must ask you to please heal her at the moment."

"R-Right!" She left him and went to Raynare, her rings appearing as they glew green. Raynare's wound began healing quick, the stains in her clothes not leaving however. Saka and Issei were having a stare down at the moment.

"… What are you?"

"A Guardian. Protector of Light and Humanity. Specifically, I'm a Hunter."

"It was you… wasn't it. At the end of my date with Hinshi, it was you who knocked me out and fought her, wasn't it."

"… Yeah. I said I'm a protector of Humanity, so I fight against any who dare attack Humans… be it Humans themselves or creatures of the supernatural."

"But… you wouldn't kill them… would you?"

"Kid, where I'm from, killing is the only way to ensure survival. If it's something non-Human, it's going down. If it was Human, at worst I'll knock them out… but if they're beyond saving… Let's say I'm showing them mercy."

Issei shivered slightly from how casual he was acting. "How long was I here?"

"I don't know. A day? You weren't nearby before we left to save you both."

"Oh…" He turned around and walked away from Saka, the Hunter himself walking to the side and leaning against the closest wall as his nose began picking up the scents of people nearby. He turned his attention to the door as Keith walked to him.

"I suppose we can call this mission a success?"

"Yeah, guess so."

Asia finished healing Raynare, the Fallen Angel looking like there was nothing wrong with her, minus the stains in her dress and the two black stumps on her back. "She should be ok… but how did this happen?" She turned around to face the Guardians, no one anticipating what happened next.

A light spear was thrown from above, hitting Asia right through her stomach and barely poking Raynare. "Eh?" She was surprised and confused from the spear, watching it disappear and leave a hole in her, a quick spurt of blood coming out before she fell over.

Everyone in the room was stunned, wide eyes looking at her falling over as Keith and Saka quickly looked in the direction she was attacked from… seeing Dohnaseek, barely even alive in the air.

"If I… can't take their Sacred Gears… I will kill all who know of this event!"

"Keith!"

"Right!" They both pulled out their weapons and took aim, watching Dohnaseek as Issei was slowly walking to Asia.

He fell down to his knees, picking up her head as she wasn't breathing. He shook her slightly, trying to get a reaction out of her as she didn't even move.

"Hey… Asia… wake up…" He kept shaking her slightly to try and have her move. Saka and Keith looked at him, both moving to stand between him and Dohnaseek.

"Kid! I need you to run! Run as fast as you can!"

"No! I can't leave Asia!" Issei refused following Saka's command, holding Asia close as Dohnaseek was laughing.

"And please, do tell why you are enjoying this?" Keith asked the question Saka was thinking as they kept their weapons aimed at him.

"What I find funny is that the boy believes she is still alive! No matter how you look at it, she is dead! And there is nothing he, nor you, can do about it!" He kept laughing like a madman, but the room around them suddenly felt a bit hotter.

Issei slowly released Asia from his arms, placing her on her back on the ground as his hair covered his eyes. "You… you find it enjoyable that she's dead? She didn't do anything to deserve what's happened!"

"Didn't deserve? Don't you know?! That is the fate of all Sacred Gear users in the future! They shall be killed all because they were blessed with those artifacts!"

"You… asshole!" Issei looked at him with a face of fury as his left forearm glew red.

 **[Dragon Booster!]** A voice yelled out from the light, covering his forearm in a red gauntlet similar to Keith's, only no chains. It had a green gem on the back of his hand with claws and yellow spikes coming out.

Everyone in the room was shocked to hear and see that, but the Guardians regained their stances quickly as Dohnaseek looked at him in disbelief.

"Impossible! The legendary Boosted Gear in the hands of a mere boy?!" He growled at Issei, creating another spear and threw it at him. Issei simply hit the spit with his gauntlet, breaking it into pieces as the Guardians separated to give him room as he began emitting heat.

Saka, however, soon recognized what this mean't. He placed his hand on Issei's shoulder, channeling a small amount of Solar Light into the boy.

"Use the power I'm giving you… kick his ass by focusing your anger into fire."

"What?"

"Use your fury to unleash the fury of fire."

"Uh… ok!" He raised his Sacred Gear forwards, flames seeming to erupt inside the gem as Keith began backing up. Both Guardians placed themselves in what they decided to be safe distances.

 **[Explosion!]** The gauntlet shot out flames that coated him in seconds, the flames also forming into a physical object in his left hand. A hammer of fire, known for its destructive power was now in his hand as he looked at himself.

"I'm… on fire… but it doesn't hurt…"

"Kid! I think it's time you bring down the hammer!"

"Oh… uh… right!" He then focused his attention on Dohnaseek, the Fallen Angel looking down at him in fear.

"No… NO! You should not be able to do something like this! You cannot control the elements with Boosted Gear!"

"How about you finally shut up!" Issei then pulled back his arm and threw the hammer. It left a fiery trail behind its flight path, adjusting the path just slightly as it hit Dohnaseek in the head. It caused a fiery explosion from the landing, sending Dohnaseek to the ground. Saka looked at Keith, who nodded as Issei created another hammer in his hands.

Saka raised his hand into the air, Solar Light coursing through him as Golden Gun appeared. Keith did the same, allowing Solar Light to coat his body as a pair of burning wings appeared on his back. Saka aimed his gun and fired, Issei threw his hammer, and Keith threw a Fusion grenade. All burning attacks landed on Dohnaseek, exploding him on impact from the hammer, exploding once again from the grenade before the Solar bullet pierced his skull, annihilating his brain as his body was instantly turned into nothing but ashes.

All of them lost their flames, his gauntlet disappearing as he went back to Asia. He shook her again, trying to wake her up.

"Come on! Can't you guys do something about this?!"

"Kid… I'm sorry…"

"We do not have such powers. I may, but I cannot give my Light."

"There has to be a way she can live! Maybe you didn't think of everything!"

"Kid, face it! She's gone, and there is nothing we, or anyone, can do about it!"

"Now, now, I wouldn't be too sure about that." A voice spoke from the entrance of the church, everyone turning their attention. There, a group of 4 consisting of a crimson haired girl, black haired girl, white haired girl, and blonde haired boy each wearing what looked like school uniforms similar to Issei's. Saka stepped between them all, hands ready to draw weapons.

"And who are you exactly?"

"Hmm… I do believe this is our first time meeting in person, Mr. Hikari." The crimson haired one spoke to him, but he focused on the fact she knew his name.

He reached to his side, ready to draw a gun as the blonde boy seemed to lean forward slightly before disappearing. Saka moved his hands quickly, intercepting the blonde boy who was revealed to have run faster than the normal eye can register and draw a sword, disarm him by grabbing the blade, twisting it in his hands before pulling and throwing it to the side, ignoring his slightly bleeding hand.

"How do you know my name?" The blonde then did the same trick with his speed, reappearing beside them as he looked at Saka.

"Hm… that is impressive. No one has ever disarmed Kiba before. Now, I do guess I must introduce myself. I am Rias Gremory of the Devil's House of Gremory, and the Devil in control of this town. You see, when you appeared first, you were an anomaly taking care of Stray Devils that wandered into my territory, killing them very easily. I had an information check performed on you, letting me know that your name is Saka Hikari."

"Why do you want to know about me?"

"Because they can turn Humans into Devils with chess pieces…" Issei answered the question as Saka looked at him like he was crazy.

"What?"

"Oh no, what Issei said is true. For the past month, I've wanted to add you to my peerage. Peerage being the name of the group of people who have Evil Pieces in them following their king. Now, I see that you are indeed a very powerful person, capable of defeating a 4 winged Fallen Angel without sustaining injuries yourself. The only thing really blocking me from doing so would be the light in your body and your reply. So, in order to turn you into a Devil, should you say yes, we would have to extract the light out of your body so you can-" She was cut off when something went flying by, cutting a few loose strands of her hair off.

Saka stood there, Last Word in hand and smoke rising from the barrel as everyone looked at him. His eyes were also furious. "If you ever, EVER, speak about taking the Light in my body out in front of me again, I won't miss next time." He put away the gun as he was practically glaring at them, her companions seeming ready to attack.

"… noted." She acted calm, but he could hear a small bit of fear in her voice. "It's just that should you say yes-"

"Never happening. Being Human works for me. Now, you mentioned earlier that we might not be right about how we can't do anything to save poor Asia here." He casually walked to the nearest bench, sitting on the side while crossing his arms as he narrowed his eyes towards her. "Talk."

The blonde boy and white haired girl looked ready to attack him as he could hardly read the black haired one. The crimson one cleared her throat as she looked at him. "Very well… another feature of the Evil Pieces is the fact they can resurrect someone from the grave within a small window of time of their death."

"Really now? Then what's stopping you from doing it right now? Is it perhaps… you want something from us?"

"I see you're also quick to catch on. You are right, I do want something from you in return should I bring back our little nun."

"Go ahead and ask. If you're lucky, I just might do it."

"Very well. You see, in payment for us to bring back the nun, I want you to join my peerage." His eyes narrowed themselves further when he heard her.

"So you're going to use an innocent girl's death to try and force me into following orders from a teenager? … I see. It was you who had that flier given to me before. You were hoping I would die by the hands of the Fallen Angels so you could forcefully make me a Devil. You even did the same thing for Issei." This caused multiple people to gasp in reaction.

"W-Well, you see-"

"Is… is this true, Rias?" Issei looked at her in disbelief.

"You see, Issei, I-"

"You could've warned me and him about the Fallen Angels possibly attacking us, but no. You decided that it would be easier for you if we were to just be killed so you could make us your slaves."

"I'll have you know, a Gremory does not-"

"Shut up."

"W-What?"

"I said shut up." He got off the bench and looked at them all, judging them silently. "I can see it in your eyes. You've been treated like a princess you're entire life, so you've always gotten what you've wanted. That won't be happening with me. You need to be taught the lesson that life isn't always fair. Heck, I can see it in your eyes… you also need to learn to not be a greedy little girl."

"B-But if you don't accept my deal, then miss Argento will be dead!"

"Do you seriously believe I would tell the truth to this kid? We have something that can heal her, so I don't want to hear anymore of you, kapeesh? Good. Now get out of my way." Saka walked forward, his stare making them all shake in fear briefly as he walked past them all, preparing to leave. "Keith, grab the girls."

"Right." Keith knelt down and picked up both Asia and Raynare, holding them both on his shoulders as he walked past the Devils, none daring to look into his eyes. Issei followed the, stopping in the middle of the Devils as he looked at Rias.

"I trusted you, you know. I even admired you. But it looks like you are what you are… a Devil." He then followed the Guardians back home. The Devils watched their leaving figures disappear into the darkness of the night as Rias fell to her knees.

"Rias…" Akeno looked at her best friend with concern.

"He was right… since I was young, everything was handed to me on a silver platter… including you all." She looked at them all with sad eyes. "I got Akeno and Yuuto because I was lucky to find you both, Koneko because my brother stopped your execution, and Gasper because I found him too."

"…Rias, he smelled like a cat." Koneko spoke out to her king as she looked at her, confused.

"I would assume so. He has a cat, doesn't he."

"No… he smelled like a Nekomata… he smelled like big sister…" She spoke with a somber tone, all of them gasping.

"He… he isn't harboring a Stray Devil, is he?"

"We… can't tell at the moment. I will try to contact the Knights of the Devil Order since they recently sent a team in search for her nearby. I will ask them if she really is in the area, since then we will see if she is with him." From beneath them all, a red magic circle appeared, teleporting them away.

From the bushes, a man with black hair and black eyes, seeming to be in his late twenties with his scruffy chin stepped out as he wore a black shirt with a strange symbol of a black eye with jeans and black boots.

"Hmm… It seems like my assistant was lying to me. He is more intriguing than she let on." Around him, a dark cloud with blue lightning formed, a near duplicate of the Vex cloud shrouding him and teleporting him away.

But atop the church, watching with a pair of emerald green eyes was a figure wearing a large robe. The same from the park.

"Saka…" They turned around and jumped, disappearing into the night.

* * *

The Kamen Rider OOO story I've told you guys about will be prolonged for a longer time than anticipated as I have been putting a lot of focus on the new version of Descendant of Kresnik. Kazuto Kresnik will return one day.

Also, yes, Issei is the Titan to complete the fireteam.

I'm also sure everyone knows who the man at the end was, along with some maybe knowing who the figure at the end is also.

Another thing is that this is definitely my longest chapter ever. I wrote this one for a long time, but here you all go.

Another thing I have to speak about is this:

Really Bungie? Iron Gjallerhorn? We need it to return? That thing will bring hell to the Crucible, but I'm glad you guys made it pre-order exclusive (despite knowing the fact everyone will pre-order it just for their favorite launcher to come back.) But I mean, seriously?


	9. Chapter 9

Finally... it has arrived! Chapter 9 has finally been created!

While it may not be a date scene as intended before, it is a good return from my worst case of writers block. Just remember, I changed Chapter 7 to follow this.

Also, the poll for Issei's girls has been created, so please go vote on that please. At the moment, there are only seven options as I realized how limited I made his potential lovers when I subtracted Rias and Kuroka from the picture since Rias is a bit too far overdone and Kuroka is meant to be with our young Hunter.

Reviews:

 **h550:** Yes and no. You will see who both are in the future.

 **Guest:** I will be finishing this story, as I will be following the anime version for as long as I can. Once I pass season three, or season four when it comes out before I reach three, I will then need to find a website for me to read the light novel.

 **Guest:** Thank you, and I'm sure I will eventually.

 **Guest:** You did read Chapter 7, right? It was there that Gabriel asked Saka out, but I changed it to where he told her of his fear of getting too close to women.

 **b3wRe The 4N Wh0 5pEkS 1n hnd5:** First, really interesting name you've given yourself. You've given yourself a great looking combination of numbers and letters. Second, yes I know of slow and steady, but thank you for reminding me. Also, thank you for saying my story is great.

Finally, I will say one idea has changed, but I will not say WHICH idea.

I do not own either series as they belong to their respective owners.

* * *

Chapter 9: A cat's past

* * *

Her eyes twitched slightly, her green orbs opening slowly. Asia groaned lightly as she woke up, sitting up. She looked around her, seeing the room she was in as she did not recognize it.

The events of last night rushed into her head, remembering it all. She looked down at herself, not remembering having changed into her green pajamas. Remembering what Dohnaseek did, she lifted her shirt up just enough for her to look at her stomach.

No wound. No blood. No scar. Not even a single sign of her having been attacked. She released her shirt and let it fall back down. She looked around the room again, not able to recognize it as she now grew curious about where she was.

Her legs moved out from under the sheets, touching the soft floor below as she got out of the bed. Hesitantly, she made her way to the door and grabbed the knob. Twisting it, she opened the door and entered a dark hallway, but she could also hear a person's voice.

It was not one she recognized, nor was it really understandable since it sounded too quiet. She made her way to the sound of the voice to try and see who was speaking.

As she approached, she could understand it better, but it sounded odd.

"This is the twenty third case of a person disappearing on the west side of the town of Kuoh. Police are actively searching for any signs of a crime, but they now believe it could be the work of a serial killer, targeting any who are walking alone in said area. As of right now, they say there are no real similarities between the disappearances, and no traces of the victim or the criminal have been found.

The only similarity between the cases is that at the scenes, a strange, silky substance, similar to a spider web, has been found at the scenes with another strange substance the police have been investigating for a long time. They say the substance has the same make up of spider venom, only it seems to have been modified to have enough venom to knockout even a blue whale. They are highly against anyone traveling alone in the area, so they recommend traveling with a group for protection."

"Think it's one of them?" A voice, sounding male, spoke. It was still one she did not recognize as she came to a corner of the room they were probably in.

"I believe so. Only a Stray could be capable of possibly taking so many and getting away with it. Or we are dealing with a very well trained Human." Another male spoke, this one she recognized.

 _'_ _Mr. Keith? … Who is he speaking to_?' She peeked around the corner to see the others in the room, spotting Keith who was sitting on a couch with a book in hand. Hovering above his shoulder was Arashi, but also Ghost was floating near the TV.

"I guess we'll have to deal with it sooner or later. Though, with you here now, it might be done quicker than if it was just Saka since he doesn't see any of them strong enough for him to use his stronger form." Ghost turned away from the TV, spotting Asia. Said girl tensed up when the small orb of Light spotted her. Keith saw Ghost, and turned to follow his gaze.

"Oh, Asia. I see you've woken up."

"Mr. Keith… where are we?"

"My cousin's house. And please, just Keith. Mr. Keith makes me sound old."

"O-Oh… yes sir…Mr. Keith."

"I suppose it will take some time before you get familiar with me. Now…" He got up and off the couch, closing his book and resting it on the table as he turned towards her. "How are you feeling?"

"Huh?"

"How are you feeling? It took longer than we hoped, but we managed to close your wound without a problem."

"You mean… you healed my wound? B-But it went right through me!"

"That it did, making it harder to heal you. However…" Both of the Ghosts flew to his side as he pointed at them. "These two are experts in regenerating flesh."

"What… what are they?" She looked at the Ghosts in wonder, never having seen one before.

"I'll… explain at a later date."

"These are Ghosts. The partners of Guardians like me and my cousin, your other savior."

"O-Oh. Um… where is he? I… would like to thank him for helping me."

"He is most likely asleep. Even though I haven't seen him in over half a year, I remember he almost always enjoys sleeping late."

 _Meanwhile…_

* * *

Saka was lying in his bed, but nowhere near asleep anymore. The reason?

A certain Nekoshou was sleeping in his bed with him as she was using him as a hug pillow. One arm rose from under his own and up to the opposing shoulder as the other went down from under one arm and towards his waist.

He couldn't move without risking disturbing her, meaning he can't make any major movements that might wake her. That wasn't the only reason though.

She was holding onto him very close, so close he could actually feel the beating of her heart as her breathing was running down the back of his neck, sending far too many sensations to his mind.

' _Alright, just keep calm… A girl sleeping in the bed with you is not the end of the world. I used to do it with her when I had a nightmare as a kid, and Lina used to do it with me after we got back from bad missions that scared her._

 _You've killed an aspect of time, the Black Heart, two Hive gods with one having access to Darkness itself and a mad Kell who was trying to become the Kell of Kells. You're the Child of Light and a damn good Hunter, so there is nothing you can't do-_

 _This isn't working! You're not experienced enough with women to deal with something like this! It doesn't help either that she's beautiful- Where did that come from?! Crap, have I been around Gabriel too much and women are now being registered in my mind?! Agh! I wish mom or Saiko were here!'_

"Nya… so many kittens…" Kuroka spoke in her sleep, completely unaware she was holding onto him.

 _'_ _She's dreaming of kittens? Right now?!'_

"So… mind explaining the story behind this?" A familiar voice spoke to him as he looked up, spotting his Ghost and thanking the Light he arrived.

"Help…"

"She's sleeping in your bed, dressed inappropriately nonetheless, and using you as a body hug pillow. Hm… sorry for disturbing you." Ghost then began floating away and towards the door, causing Saka to panic once more.

"No! Ghost, help! Please! Ghost! No, come back here! At least send Keith!"

It was too late as the orb of Light had left the room. He silently cursed his partner as he could only stay there, on his side.

He then remembered his power to Blink, mentally hitting himself for forgetting his main method of escaping.

He raised his arm outside of the sheets, grabbing onto the open air in front of him. Just as he pulled back and perform Blink, somehow, Kuroka's arm had moved up from his waist and around his arm, changing the trajectory of where he was about to Blink from off the bed to right above it.

He still performed his short distance teleportation, only to end up going upwards and falling right back down onto his bed, one arm falling off the bed as the other landed close to the sleeping Nekoshou.

He silently cursed as he realized he was free, also curious into how she had changed his Blink's trajectory in her sleep by moving his arm. Ignoring it, he pushed both his arms out to the side, but his right arm then came in contact with the Nekoshou.

It was then that his hand felt beating, making him turn his eyes to see his hand was right above her heart. His eyes flashed blue briefly as a single word escaped his mouth.

"Shit…" Then, everything went black.

 _Scene transition…_

* * *

"Oh… I hate this power…" Saka said as he then groaned, obviously annoyed as he was laying down against the grassy ground in nothing but his sleepwear still.

He pulled himself up, getting to his feet as he dusted his back. Looking around, he saw he was in some sort of dungeon like hallway. Torches attached to the walls, each one illuminating the path through the hall. He looked down at the ground, realizing his bare feet would be going against a rather rough looking floor as he also scratched the back of his head, trying to figure out why he was here before he saw a door not too far away with an odd purple glow coming out.

He moved towards the door, grabbing the handle to it and pulling it open to step inside the room.

Once inside, he looked around and saw the room was reminiscent of a dungeon itself, minus the strange purple glow in the room. He was confused by the strange glow before the sound of chains rattling caught his attention.

He turned his gaze to the source, his eyes widening as his mouth went agape.

A younger Kuroka, possibly three years or less, was chained to the wall with cuffs around her wrists. She was stripped down to two pieces of light grey clothing that acted as her underwear and hid her important areas but also revealed the multiple wound marks on her skin from thin cuts and blunt attacks to a few burn marks that looked like they would heal and even deeper cuts.

He was stunned to see her in such a state, his feet taking a step towards her before he spotted a desk nearby. The desk had a single book on top of it, looking like a journal.

Taking a look at the younger Kuroka, he moved towards the desk and grabbed the journal. He looked at it, seeing no visible title on it or any way of identifying what it was. He heard her chains rattle again, looking towards her as a voice he never wanted to hear came to his mind.

 _"_ _Well now… let's see how the 'Child of Light's' body reacts to my special serum."_ A headache formed in his mind from the memory of his time with a demented Warlock far too obsessed with the Traveler.

Clearing his mind of the thought, he put his attention back on the journal. His hands grabbed the edges of the journal, deciding to open it.

The first page was blank, confusing him slightly as he turned to the next page, another blank. He turned again, blank. Again, blank. Blank, blank, blank, blank.

He flipped through the pages with increasing speed, seeing every single page had nothing but a blank sheet of paper. He flipped it to the last page, finding it once again blank.

 _'_ _What the hell is the purpose of keeping a journal if it's blank?'_ He tossed the journal back onto the desk as he turned his attention back to Kuroka. Reaching to his side, he grasped nothing but air as he tried to grab a non-existent knife. ' _Rrrrrrrrrright…'_

Footsteps echoed from the hallway he came from, making him turn towards the door. He looked around the room, seeing nothing he could use for hiding other than the desk, but there was no use of hiding under it.

Moving to the side of the desk, he crouched downwards and remained still for a moment before his Light turned him invisible.

The door to the room opened again, this time a person walking through.

It was a man who had slicked back dark red hair and a pair of sinister looking blood red eyes. He was wearing high class clothing that looked as if it were the from the dark ages, gold lining a red robe around him with a silver vest over a red shirt and dark purple pants with matching shoes.

He walked through the room, towards the restrained Nekoshou. He stood in front of her, looking down at her weak form as he raised his hand, bringing it down quickly and slapping her. She recoiled by falling backwards, but the chains holding her wrists kept her from falling to her back and kept her on her knees.

She screamed when his hand hit her, a very obvious red mark on the side of her face as Saka's eyes narrowed. Her eyes opened, not to reveal the pair of playful feline eyes, but a pair of sad, borderline depressed feline eyes.

The man smirked when she was forcibly awoken, kneeling down and looking at her with a satisfied look. He then took out a small knife, grabbing her arm and using his knife to make a small cut in her skin, drawing a small amount of blood on the knife.

She had a look of intense discomfort, the knife hurting her as he pulled it away. He got back to his feet, walking towards the desk and Saka, but he was unaware of the invisible Hunter. He picked up the journal, confusing Saka as he opened a page somewhere among halfway through the book as he then tapped the page with the bloody knife.

Writing suddenly appeared on the page, confusing Saka greatly as he then tried to read the contents. His attempt was pointless as the writing was neither English nor Japanese, rather somewhere between French and Italian.

He put away his knife, reading the contents of the journal as he pulled out a pen, lifting it up to the journal and he began writing in it with the same writing as the other pages.

Saka watched him write, his manner of writing similar to those of scientists recording their findings. He wrote only a short passage before closing the journal and putting it back on the desk, putting his pen away. He moved towards Kuroka again, getting down and onto one knee.

"Kuroka… you've been such a help with my research. It truly is a shame I wasn't able to find your sister… until now that is."

Her expression switched to one of horror as Saka raised an eyebrow to what he said.

 _'_ _She… has a sister?'_

"I must say… It was rather smart of an insolent and idiotic cat like you to do, hiding a young Nekoshou with a more mature Nekoshou who is a master at Senjutsu and Youjutsu. She's even one of Lord Lucifer's most trusted allies, so there was little I could do without raising suspicion. Instead, when I heard that they will be hosting a celebration for the young Gremory heiress entering one of those useless Human schools, I was surprisingly lucky enough to find out that your poor little Shirone will also be going as Lord Lucifer's ally will no doubtedly be attending.

Rather cliché, if you ask me. Successfully capturing the second young Nekoshou by taking her away in a party, but as long as it works, I do not care either way." He lifted his hand to her cheek, caressing the side of her face. She had a look of disgust from his hand touching her, turning her head quickly to then bite his finger.

He reacted from his finger being bitten, pulling back as he glared at her, his hand raising into the air again as he hit her even harder than before with his fist, knocking her out.

His expression was still angry as he glared at her unconscious form. "Once I have your little Shirone, there will be nothing you can do." He turned towards the door and began walking away.

Saka moved silently towards the man, standing just off to the side of where he would have to walk by. Just as the man walked by the invisible Hunter, Saka moved his hand into the man's pocket, grabbing onto the first metallic object inside and pulling it out quickly before the man could register his presence.

The man left the room, unaware of Saka having taken something from him as he closed the door behind him.

Saka's invisibility dispersed as he released a breath he didn't know he was holding. He looked down to his side, to the hand he used to pickpocket the man, his fingers opening and revealing…

"…I should have expected this…" He looked down at the PEN he took from the man. "Ugh… Cayde… worst pickpocket lessons… ever." He could only look at the pen, trying to think of what he could do with it.

He then remembered that it was metal, looking towards Kuroka's shackles. Moving towards her, he grabbed her shackles and examined the cuffs.

Old, covered in rust, a small amount of blood that made his boil for some reason along with no keyhole, instead the two pieces being bolted together.

He only hoped what he was about to do, she would not remember in their time.

He put the pen in his pocket, placing both hands on the cuff on her right. His arm erupted in flames, the fire being concentrated on his hands as the metal cuffs began heating up before turning red. Despite being unconscious, a pained expression had appeared on her face as he quickly canceled his Solar Light and grabbed the cuff with both hands, using his strength to pry it apart.

He may not have the insane strength of Titans, but he was still stronger than the average Hunter. His hands ripped the cuff in two, freeing her wrist and revealing the light red mark around her wrist.

He turned his attention to the remaining cuff, his hands heating up again as he grabbed the other cuff, causing it to turn red like the one before it as he then ripped it apart, freeing her other wrist as she then fell forward.

He reacted by catching her and lowering them both to the ground as he got to his knees, resting her against the ground slowly. She laid against the floor, her breathing faster than before from having her wrists heated.

He looked down at her, specifically at her face as he thought to himself.

 _'_ _Why do I care about her like this? She's not a real teammate and she isn't really a trusted ally since we haven't fought beside one another before. The chance of me seeing her in a romantic way is slim, far too slim to the point they may be non-existent. So why do I care about her as if she were a friend?'_

His thinking was cut short when he heard a loud ticking sound in his head.

 _'_ _Shit! I'm running out of time!'_ He looked up from her, his gaze looking towards the desk with the journal on top. _'It has to contain something about her…'_

He got up and moved to the desk, grabbing the journal and placing it in one of his pockets before moving back to Kuroka. He knelt down to pick her up, but the sound of footsteps coming towards the room caught his attention.

Silently cursing the man possibly returning or an acquaintance of his, he stood straight up and positioned his arms to create a Shadowshot bow with an arrow ready, but instead the tips of his fingers began disappearing into Light.

' _Already?! It hasn't even been 10 minutes!'_ He looked at his vanishing hands as the door opened, the man having walked back in.

He saw Saka standing in the room, along with Kuroka having been freed as his face turned into one of pure anger.

"Who in the world do you think you are?!"

Saka gave no reply as he raised his arms again, his Shadowshot successfully forming this time as he pulled back the string, but he pulled the string back even further than before as he added more Void Light to increase the size of the arrow.

The man saw his bow of Void Light, raising his hand in front of him and creating a dark red magic circle in front of him.

It did little when Saka released the arrow, letting it fly and pierce straight through the magic circle as if it was nothing, but the arrow completely missed the man as it passed by him between his legs and made impact right beneath him.

"Heh! You're a fool if your aim is so shit you can't hit a Devil in front of you!"

"Who said I aimed for you?" Saka snapped his fingers, the Tether attached to his arrow shooting out and attaching itself to the man.

"What?! What is this?!" The man tried to grab the Void Light that covered his body, reducing his speed, strength, and disabling any abilities he may have at the moment. Saka looked at him before he heard another tick inside his head, his body starting to disappear into Light before he was no longer there.

The man looked at where he once was, confused by his appearance and disappearance before looking at Kuroka, but she was standing up on her feet, three orbs of Senjutsu spinning in her hand.

The man raised his arm to create another magic circle, but nothing appeared no matter how much magic he tried using.

"N-Now Kuroka… I never m-mean't to do a-all those acts upon you… I… I… I-I was forced to do such from your Senjutsu master! S-She said that if I d-did not reduce your power, s-she would harm poor l-little Shirone!" He spoke with fear in his tone, his attempts to persuade her not to harm him failing.

"I'd sooner trust my master if she were insane than you." She then threw her Senjutsu orbs at him, all three combining into a larger one before hitting him in the chest.

He grunted in pain, clutching onto his chest as he fell down to his knees. He looked up at her, immense fear in his eyes now.

"I won't be a sadistic asshole like you… so be glad I'm making it quick." She created one of her own magic circles behind her, eight orbs of Senjutsu in each corner before she launched them towards him, as all one could hear within the walls of the building were the death screams of a Devil.

 _Scene Transition…_

* * *

Saka was still in his bed, his body limp under the sheets before he suddenly bolted up, his eyes opening nearly instantly as he looked around the room.

He ensured he was in his room, seeing everything of his that made his mind calm down nearly instantly. He then fell back down into the bed, his head on his pillow once more as he breathed out.

"I hate that power… so much…"

"Yet it's so useful depending on who you use it on." A voice spoke to him from the side, but he didn't even bother to look to his side as he closed his eyes.

"Yeah, yeah… the problem with it is the freaking time limit. It changes every single time."

"True…" Ghost moved to hover above his Hunter, looking down at the dark haired Guardian. "So… how was her past?"

"…"

"…"

"…"

"… You… you gonna answer my question or…"

"I'm… not really at liberty to say."

"Why's that?"

"It… it looked like something she'll want to keep personal… for a bit."

"I planned on that, nya, but then you decided to invade it." Kuroka's voice spoke from right beside him, causing him to turn and looked to his side to see she was sitting on his bed beside him.

He looked away, his cheeks light pink from seeing her still wearing her kimono like so.

"…Sorry."

"Sorry isn't going to cut it, mister." She then poked the back of his head, making him groan slightly. She then turned towards Ghost, lifting her hand and pushing him away from them both. "You can leave, firefly."

"Firefly?" Ghost questioned the name he was just called before moving towards her in an annoyed manner. "I'll have you know, I am nowhere near as small as the Lampyridae. I am a piece of highly advance technology infused with Light and given a free will."

"Do I look like I care, nya?" She looked at him with a bored look. "Now go. I have to talk with your 'Guardian,' nya."

If Ghost had a mouth, it would be open right now as he was thinking of a way to talk back. He floated backwards slightly before floating away and leaving.

"So… I guess this means that you've known about my existence for the past few years?"

"Yes. I didn't get to see your face back then, only that messy head of hair of yours with what you're wearing right now." She didn't add her usual 'Nya' in her sentence, making him believe that she might be taking the conversation seriously.

He pulled himself back up to sit, turning towards her.

"So… I take it this also means that for the past few years, you've been trying to find me again?"

"Yes. I've been searching for the man who saved me from that despicable man who'd dare call himself my master. Not only that, you also protected my sister from him possibly kidnapping her to perform the same torture he did on me to her."

"Your sister… Shirone, wasn't it?" He asked her as she nodded. "Well, I guess that's a similarity between us."

"A similarity? Ooh~, please tell."

"You're not the only one who's had a sister. Well, half-sister, since we have the same mother but different fathers, but she's… well, she's dead."

"Oh… I'm… sorry for bringing up the memory."

"Hey, your sister is still out there in the world. I'd be searching for her more than worrying about an old Hunter's family."

Her expression dampened slightly, a light frown appearing on her face. "That's what my other goal has been. Find Shirone and take her with me, but now… I can't step anywhere near her without the risk of Stray Devil Hunters or the Knights of the Devil Order. She's been turned into a Devil."

He looked at her, staring at her sad expression as he assumed she must really love her sister. It was the same way between him and Saiko, only he was the younger sibling as Saiko loved her younger brother to death.

 _'…I must really miss my sister if I'm thinking about her that much.'_ "Hey, tell you what… I'll help you find your sister."

"Nya?" She looked at him, confused by what he said as well as shocked. "Why would you do that? No, wait, how would you do that?"

"Well, they don't call me a Hunter for nothing. Besides, you said your sister was turned into a Devil, right? So the first step towards finding her would be to clear your name, and well…" He reached into his pocket, pulling out an old looking journal that made her eyes widen. "I think this may be just the evidence we need to prove killing him was the right thing."

She stared at him, her mind processing what he's just said as her lips curved into a small smile. Her arms lifted up and wrapped around his neck, pulling herself closer to him as she hugged him, shocking him. He looked at her, confused by the hug.

"You're making me glad I met you… nya."

His eyes widened slightly before he let out a small chuckle. He moved his right arm around her, returning the hug as it felt… natural.

 _'I think… I am…Looks like you were right Ghost… I might be falling for a woman sooner than you thought.'_ He thought to himself as he suddenly realized he never opened his right hand.

Deciding to open it, he moved his right hand to his side and opened his hand, the contents in his hand making his eyes widen.

"Oh… You… you may want to look at this…"

"Nya?" She sounded confused by what he said, pulling away from him and looking to the side at his right hand as her eyes widened while her feline ears perked up. "H-How…"

In his hand were two grey, cracked bishop pieces.

* * *

Did you believe I would forget about his power to enter past memories and alter the future? No, I've merely been waiting for the opportunity to do it again. Also, no one say anything about him being a possible hypocrite because he's getting close to Kuroka despite his fear of women close to him dying.

There will be no breaking of the minds of Issei, Keith, nor Saka from loved ones dying. That is a no-go in this story.

Family, maybe. Lovers, no.

Also, I want to ask people where's a good website to watch Kamen Rider Agito? I've currently seen OOO, Wizard, Drive, Decade, and Kiva. I'm watching Fourze and Kabuto at the moment as I'm waiting for Ghost to end, as well as waiting for the long months that will come from us having to wait for translators to subtitle Ghost's movie coming out soon to see Ex-Aid in action.

Anyways, farewell, and see you all later.


	10. Chapter 10

5 more days everyone! Woo!

I'm still watching someone who took a few lines from chapter 8. I won't say who, since I really like their stories, but still. A little bitter about it. Like salt grain sized bitter.

Current Issei votes:

Asia: 9

Irina: 4

Koneko: 1

Ravel: 1

Akeno: 1

Xenovia: 0

Kiyome: 0

No love for Xenovia. Poor Quarta.

But I will remind everyone that the top **3** will get with Ise. If the tie between Koneko, Ravel, and Akeno remains, then I will move it up to **5** for their sake.

Poll ends when Kokabiel starts.

Reviews:

 **Anonymous:** Yes, she is no longer a Devil. I did this in the original version too.

 **Guest:** Raynare is here, Issei is next chapter. And yes, Kuroka is not a Devil.

 **Courier47:** His power to travel through time is one that will be explained in the future. Also, the Vex do not know of sexual attraction between males and females. However, that curse sounds really, really awful for a guy who really loves a girl.

 **Freshi Prince1:** It will be explained in the future. Far, far future.

 **Jebest4781:** Thank you for saying that.

And to everyone who mentioned KissAsian as the website for me to watch Agito, I asked this becuase the website I use, Jatoku, was shutdown briefly. It's back up now, but thanks everyone for at least pointing me to the movies.

I will also mention that Descendant of Kresnik has officially became my second project, and it will feature a three way crossover. Tales of Xillia due to Kazuto. A certain anime/manga with a vampire in it, and it will include possibly two characters from another series. Could be one due to lack of research.

Onto the chapter!

* * *

Chapter 10: A Warlock and Dragon

* * *

Keith sat by the bedside, looking at the sleeping Fallen Angel in front of him who had been changed into purple pajamas.

His glasses were in his hand, a cloth in the other was he was wiping the lens before placing them back on his face, giving him his vision again. He could only sit by her side, waiting for when she wakes up again. Arashi appeared over his shoulder in his usual flash of Light, his single eye turning and look at the Fallen Angel.

"… She won't be waking up anytime soon, you know."

"So you're saying it's pointless to hope? I never knew you were such a pessimist, Arashi."

"I never said that."

"Haha… I was merely messing with you."

"I'm glad that I got you instead of that brother of yours. You can at least minimize any joking you do."

"Hah… I must agree on that one. If you had revived Kyle instead of me, your tolerance would have been pushed to its limits, or you would have gone so far as leaving him. I'm surprised his Ghost has been with him for so long."

"I pity my fellow Ghost…"

"As do I…"

They remained silent afterwards, neither deciding to speak. Keith sighed before he stood up, deciding to leave the room as Arashi followed. He opened the door and stepped through, closing it behind him as he stopped when he could see through the small crack between the door and the frame, a glimpse of Raynare still asleep through it before he closed it fully.

He looked through his cousin's house briefly before his nose picked up a bad stench. He sniffed the air, the stench coming from himself as he sniffed himself, finding out that he smelled horribly.

"Oh dear… When was the last time I had a warm shower?"

"Two months ago, before you decided to venture into the Vault of Glass to find your cousin."

"Oh… I really should bathe after what I was planning to do today then."

"What are you… oh. We don't know how many there are, so I highly suggest asking your cousin for assistance."

"No… Saka sleeps too much for me to do such a thing. I'd not want to disturb his sleep. Light knows what happened last time."

The sound of a man screaming came to Keith's mind, causing him to shudder in fear from remembering to never wake a tired Saka. He pitied the poor Titan who thought he could wake a tired Hunter.

"From what has been said on the news, they seem to be spider based monsters. I have no arachnophobia like Saka's former teammate, so I am sure I can quell an arachnid or two."

"If you say so… If you get poisoned, I hope you can resurrect yourself since I don't want to take the risk of being covered in webbing." Arashi floated towards his Warlock before vanishing and entering his mind.

Keith took his glasses off and put them in his pocket as he pulled out his contacts and put them in.

His attire changed from the clothes he wore for over a week as he really needed to bathe. He now wore a pair of dark purple pants with an Arc blue shirt with a dark purple jacket over it while he still had on his black and purple boots.

He left the house of his cousin, actually unaware that Saka was not sleeping at the moment and would soon be traveling to a past memory.

 _Scene Transition…_

* * *

He stood in front of an abandoned warehouse. He could see the front of it perfectly due to the light that the sun gave him, but everything else was covered in pitch black shadows to hide the contents of the interior.

He raised his hand in front of him, Arashi appearing and floating upwards before emitting thin beams of Light, moving across from one side of the building to the other.

Keith kept his eyes on the building, looking it over as he also kept a sense of environmental awareness in case of a surprise. Arashi came back down to his hand, his singular eye looking up at Keith's.

"Nothing. No bio signs of anything larger than a-" He cut himself off and looked downwards, beside Keith. The Warlock himself grew curious into why and looked downwards himself at where his Ghost was looking.

Spiders, of varying species and sizes were all walking in an oddly orderly fashion line away from the building. Some spiders that normally fed on other spiders even ignored their own meals.

The duo stared at the arachnids as they all seemed to appear from the shadows or the warehouse.

"Follow?"

"Follow."

Keith then moved forwards as Arashi moved up and above his shoulder. Once they got close to the shadows, Arashi then activated his flashlight lens to illuminate the path ahead as they kept their eyes on the fleeing spiders.

They followed the leaving arachnids who all moved across the floor of the warehouse until a large piece of what looked like rubble came into the light. They looked at it as Arashi expanded the size of the flashlight, showing more rubble.

They both looked at the rubble, confused by why it was there before seeing the spiders all squeezing out from under a create with a small hole underneath.

Curiosity getting the better of them, Keith placed his body against the crate, using his strength to then push it. He pushed it over a small bit as his foot stepped in something.

Looking down, he saw he stepped in some rather large webbing.

He pushed the box again, this time away from where the spiders were coming from as he revealed a large hole, large enough for a man to fit in that was lined in webbing, similar to the funnel spider.

Keith looked down in the hole, his hand reaching to his hip as an Iron Banner sidearm known as the Ironwreath appeared in his hand. He took one step forward, his body then falling into the hole.

Wind was rushing past his face, sending his hair straight up as he fell into the hole that was far larger than he had thought.

Along the walls, even more spiders were heading up and away from the bottom, but they were no longer in their orderly line, more as if they were in a state of panic.

The ground was coming close as he saw it just in time to then activate his Glide to slow his descent. His speed was dropping quickly, and it kept dropping until it reached the point where he was no longer falling, only hovering in the air just above the ground.

He stopped his Glide, falling the short distance to the ground as it was still webs and more webs all around him.

He looked at the large and sticky silk, lifting his foot up to see the web on the floor stuck to it as it was ripped from the floor.

Arashi opened their inventory, selecting his armor as Keith was then covered in his robe as the dome of his helmet gave off a faint light.

He held onto the Ironwreath with both hands now, Arashi lighting the area in front of them as he proceeded slowly and with caution as the spiders were either on the ceiling or walls of the hole, none coming near him.

Arashi hovered ahead a small distance, the pieces of his shell coming off his core as he began releasing pulses that all went through the tunnel they were in, none seeming to bounce back.

He let out another wave of pulses, but this time, one bounced back. He closed his shell, floating back to his Guardian.

"Two others. One large, the other humanoid. I couldn't get a proper scan, but the larger one also had dropping vita- wait, that's odd."

"What is?"

"It's almost as if the energy I'm picking up from the large one just went into the humanoid one. As if the humanoid one absorbed its power."

"That… does not sound good. Fall back, activate thermo lens."

Arashi did just that as he disappeared in a quick flash of light, his light disappearing with him as the inside of Keith's helmet changed, the screen showing his H.U.D. showing a selection of visions before one called 'Thermo' was selected, the dark suddenly being replaced by the heat emitted by the spiders fleeing past him.

"Not the best… but it will do."

He held onto his Ironwreath with a firm grip, pulling the top back as a bullet was ejected, making sure it was loaded as he saw the bullet counter for the gun went down one.

He slowly and steadily made his way through the cave, the cold blue walls on his screen as the hotter red spiders showed him the way forward.

However, a screeching sound came from ahead, and it sounded very Inhuman.

Keith threw caution to the wind as he ran towards the source, his sidearm ready in hand should there be a trap.

His legs moved as fast as a Warlock could run in their robe, a sudden blip appearing on his radar as he got closer.

He ignored his radar as he ran faster, the blip coming closer and closer to his spot from his movement. His running was interrupted when his foot got caught in something.

Looking downwards, he couldn't see anything due to his current vision selected. The selection came out again, selecting normal before everything went dark.

He heard a strange sound of something burning, Arashi coming back out and activating the flashlight as he saw what his foot came in contact with, both growing weary of where they were now.

It was a spider. No ordinary spider, but one the size of a Human child with his foot inside its guts, meaning it was dead. Pulling his foot out, he saw smoke coming off from it as the cloth on his leg seemed to burn.

"This spider… it is… incredibly large…"

Arashi couldn't help but look at the large spider, his beams coming out as he scanned the corpse. Keith kept looking down at his foot, the boot he was wearing covered in steam and a sticky green substance that most likely was its blood.

"It has the regular genetic structure for spiders, but there's something in it that makes them larger… it's almost as if… wait… the blood… the blood is acidic!"

Keith quickly lifted his foot and jumped from the corpse, Arashi taking away his armor before any real damage could be done to it.

"If the blood is acidic, how were they alive? Are their interiors resistant to the chemical?"

"I think so… it has weaker chemical properties than other acids. Hold on a moment, I'm going to light up the room."

Arashi flew upwards, to an acceptable distance above the floor before his shell came off his core again. His core began releasing a small amount of light that was in the shape of an orb contained by his shell, but he then retracted his shell as the entire area they were in was suddenly illuminated from a newly formed orb of Light above.

They looked at the area they were in, Keith's face turning pale as Arashi hovered back down and close to him.

"This is…"

"Dear Light…"

Hundreds and hundreds of large spider corpses were everywhere. Walls, ceiling, ground. Some still hung from their strings with a large hole in their stomach or head. But, the next thing they saw sent a chill up Keith's spine.

In the webbing along the walls, were multiple, multiple people. Every single one them were stuck to the wall, their stomachs exploded outwards as they both could guess why.

"Well… we found the missing people… and the culprits…"

"They've been taking away anyone in their sight for the purpose of their babies being born…"

"This… Not even the Hive would do something so grotesque."

"They'd kill the Humans sooner than let their worms devour their flesh."

"He…lp…" A weak voice caught their attention, both turning towards the source to spot an officer stuck in the webbing. Arashi disappeared to hide himself.

Keith ran towards the officer, grabbing the webbing that held him. "What in the world happened?"

"I… was sent to… patrol the area for… the kidnapper… instead… giant spiders got me… I… I couldn't call for reinforcements…" The officer then groaned, possibly out of pain as Keith began to pull the webbing off his arm, pulling some off.

"Don't worry… I'll try to assist you in escaping."

"Tha… thank you… Grgh!" He winced in pain, somewhere around his lower abdomen.

Keith looked at the officer in worry, taking the last bit of webbing off his arm as the limb fell out from the wall.

But it wasn't limp, it wasn't attached to his body at all and it fell to the ground, causing the Warlock to step back. He looked at the officer with concern in his eyes as he saw the red stump of a bone where his arm once was.

"What… what's the matter? Why… why'd you stop?"

"Your arm! Your arm wasn't a part of your body!"

"My… what…?" He turned to his side, seeing the bloody spot that was once his arm as his eyes widened barely. "Holy hell… they… they took my arm…"

Something moved under the webbing holding the officer, catching Keith's attention as he turned at it. From where it moved, a pinkish liquid was dying the web, making Keith grow cautious.

"Sir… how long have you been here?"

"How long…? I… I don't know… It was… the… ninth when I went on patrol…"

'He's been here for little over a week…'

"Did… did the spiders bite you, at all?"

"Yes… multiple… multiple times… then they… they faced their rears to where they bit me… near my stomach…"

'He's a dead man…'

Keith gulped, a loud one at that as the officer heard it. Hesitantly, Keith reached to his side, grabbing the Ironwreath one more time and aiming it at the officer.

The officer looked at the gun, a small bit of fear in his eyes before his body jerked.

Keith jumped back, wary of what may have caused it.

"The eggs… THE EGGS! They're hatching!" The officer screamed in pain as popping sounds could be heard from him, more pink liquid dying the white webbing. "My sleeve… take my… take my keys… my cruiser should… be in the street…"

Keith turned his attention to the dismembered arm, pulling the sleeve down to reveal a pair of keys under them. He grabbed them, taking them out of the sticky webs.

One of the spiders coming from the officer broke through the webbing, however, and landed on Keith's hand. It was the size of an adult tarantula, but the contact of it surprised Keith, the Warlock jumping back as the keys fell.

By some strange misfortune of luck, the key fell to the ground and hit a small rock, the unlock button being hit as the sound of car locks being unlocked caught his attention with a flash of headlights.

Sending Arc into his hand, he fried the spider to crisp and threw the corpse away, looking above as he stepped back slightly at the sight of a car, covered in webbing, hanging above.

"Oh dear…"

More baby spiders began crawling out of the officer's stomach, Keith quickly taking his sidearm and shooting the officer in the head to end whatever suffering he may have.

"Arashi! Find out how much gas is in that car!"

'Why? … You are not.'

"I am."

'It's reasons like this that make many see how you are related to Saka… yours and his crazy ideas…' Arashi appeared again, flying up to the car as Keith backed away from the baby spiders that were being born.

Pulling the Ironwreath back one more time to make sure no bullet would be jammed, he took aim at the spiders and began shooting at any that were too close for comfort.

The spiders had the advantage in numbers, but Keith had the advantage from his power of undying. He shot the next spider that got close, pressing the mag eject button on the side as he loaded in a new magazine, pulling the top back again as he shot.

Arashi was beside the webbing that held the car, his beams scanning it.

"Let's see… what part of this old piece of tech is the ta- found it." He flew around to the other side, the underside of the car as he scanned it again. "It has… almost a full tank! The officer must've refilled before being taken away."

He then flew back down towards Keith, covering the Warlock in light before his armor formed, his boot a bit damaged due to the acidic blood.

"Perfect, that is what I need." He reached into his robe, pulling out the hilt of Bolt Castor as the Exotic blade of Arc lightning formed from the hilt. Keith backed away, his Ironwreath aimed at the wall as he pulled the trigger.

The bullet exploded in the barrel of the gun, firing out of the cartridge and through the barrel, flying across the room before hitting the wall. Through the odd power of their special bullets, the bullet then performed a ricochet and bounced off the wall into the tank of the car.

Forming a Solar grenade in his hand after putting away the gun, he threw his grenade under where the car was, grabbing onto the hilt of his sword before jumping just off the ground and spinning, releasing a wave of Arc lightning that was sent flying into the webbing.

The wave hit the wall that held the car, the Arc storm being left behind as it burned the webbing with lightning as the car fell forward a bit. The webbing burned to a small amount remaining before the car fell out of the hole it was in, falling down and to the ground as Keith turned around, light appearing in front of him as he jumped and landed on his Arcrunner, pulling the handles as the Sparrow sent him forward.

The car fell onto the ground, the exposed tank coming in contact with the scorching grenade before exploding. Due to the cramped space of the tunnel, the explosion went both towards the exit and after Keith, burning whatever remains of spiders or webs in touched.

Keith was flooring the handle on his Sparrow, trying his best to make sure he won't have to be resurrected as the Sparrow went as fast as it could when carrying a man. Arc lightning cackled along the front of the Sparrow, signifying the engine working with maximum power.

The Sparrow even went at a faster speed than it was supposed to when Holliday gave it to him.

Behind, the explosion was following and catching up quick. Arashi was monitoring it from within Keith's mind.

'It's got a few extra miles more than us! Kick the sparrow into overdrive and pray to the Traveler we don't go out like this!'

"I don't plan on dying in a spider's nest!"

He opened the slot on the side to reveal the self destruct button and pressed it again, the engine kicking into a final-drive due to it soon no longer existing in a matter of seconds as he was propelled forward faster.

Ahead, he saw light. Thanking the Light, both it and the Traveler's as his Sparrow began blowing up. The back stabilizer blew up along with the hover unit, the vehicle falling to the ground and skidding along the rough, rocky floor as Keith jumped forward and used whatever momentum was left to send himself further.

He went into the light, quickly jumping to his side as the explosion came through the opening behind him, causing him to cover his face despite wearing the helmet.

Next, he heard the sound of rocks falling and hitting other rocks.

He looked behind where he came from, a hole being covered in nothing but rocks. A small explosion happened under them, sending a few off the pile that blocked the exit as he sighed.

"There goes the Sparrow too…"

He turned around to look at the new room he was in, only to be greeted by the sight of an even larger spider. It was the size of a Fallen Walker, causing him to have a little bit of sweat come down the side of his head as he stared at it.

But then, it fell to the ground, dead.

"Hmph… some 'Queen' you were." A voice in an annoyed, but also disappointed, tone came to his ears. He looked around the room to see no one else but he and the spider, deciding to look up at the sight of something that confused him completely.

It was a rather handsome young man with short, dark silver hair and a pair of light blue eyes. He wore a dark green V-neck shirt with a black leather jacket having a high collar over it. He had a pair of burgundy jeans with a chain hanging onto them and black, leather chaps with three belts circling his right calf. He also had a pair of black shoes.

But the one thing about him that caught his attention were the two large white Dragonic wings on his back with a set of blue feathers that looked like a form of energy of some sort.

Keith was actually gaping at the sight of the man, words from Raynare coming to his mind.

 _"_ _The Grigori actually have a very strong Sacred Gear wielder working for them. His name is Vali, and he's the White Dragon Emperor, and many Fallen Angels believe he is the most powerful White Dragon to exist up to date."_

He felt a cold sensation run down his spine as he turned his head to look for a new exit.

"Hm?" The man caught sight of Keith, making the Warlock look up to him. "And just who might you be?"

"A… concerned mage?"

"Hmph. Whatever." He lowered himself to the ground, his Dragonic wings disappearing as he crossed his arms. "This so called 'Spider Queen' wasn't even worth the fight. I punched her once and she died."

 _'_ _He punched it once?!'_

The man looked at Keith, his dark eyes examining him. "I hope you don't mind me asking, but I'm looking for a man. He calls himself a 'Hunter.' Supposedly a very strong man who is in the town of Kuoh."

"A… Hunter?" If Keith was not wearing his helmet right now, the man would see his partially afraid eyes and sweating face. His hands twitched slightly, fear seeming to take over despite the courage he has. "I… cannot say I have met one. Do you, by chance, mean Stray Devil Hunters like the Knights of the Devil Order?"

The man smirked slightly and released a short chuckle. "The Knights of the Devil Order? They were put out of commission years ago when their leader was found accepting bribes from Devils who wanted them to kill Peerage Kings and blame it on their servants so they could take that servant. Any actions those weaklings do now are just Strays themselves who try to correct themselves in hope the Devils will accept them again."

"Oh… I… I see. Well, I… suppose I must leave now. You've killed the Spider Queen as all the other spiders are dead too. So, I must say farewell." Keith then walked around the corpse of the Spider Queen, hoping the man would ignore him as he left.

Instead the man jumped into the air and over Keith, landing in front of him.

"I don't mind you leaving, but I can't help but notice the essence of a Dragon you have… a powerful one at that."

 _'_ _Oh dear…'_

"If I had to guess… I'd say a Sacred Gear with a Dragon King sealed inside… So, which is it? Plutinia or Vritra? The Elemental Dragon King or the Prison Dragon? For the past few decades, the Elemental Dragon King hasn't surfaced since rogue Fallen Angels most likely took the Sacred Gear out of the last host and held onto it for a long time. It's a shame too, I wanted to fight one of the Dragon Kings, even if they're Sacred Gears at least once before my Rival. Then again, the same could be said about that Hunter in the area."

'You are out of luck on this one. Either tell him a lie, or show him. I just hope he doesn't try to fight you. In a place you're so far from storms.'

"It… is the Prison Dragon, Vritra."

"Really? What Sacred Gear of his do you have?"

 _'_ _Was he split into separate Sacred Gears?!'_ "I have… the…"

"Go on…" He seemed to smirk as Keith could not come up with anything to say.

Without thinking, he summoned the Elemental Shackle, throwing it forward as a chain shot out to wrap around the man. Instead, the man easily dodged it by his wings coming back out and shooting up into the air.

"So I was right… The Elemental Dragon King finally makes a return… and in front of me no less."

 **{I suggest being careful, Vali.** **}** His wings lit up slightly when the voice spoke, confusing Keith who retracted his chain and reached behind him to pull out Bad Juju. **{He may be Human, but I can detect his main power source being light, and only light. Dividing him would hurt you more than him.}**

"I see." 'Vali' smirked again as he dove downwards, fist ready as he hit Keith in the chest and sending him backwards and onto his back due to his lack of footing. "That just means I won't use Divide."

Keith got back up to his feet, readying Bad Juju as he fired in a quick burst, three bullets flying from the barrel as Vali raised just one arm up to block.

When he did, the bullets hit his arm, but didn't even penetrate his jacket. Keith was shocked to see his bullets do next to nothing, but Vali wiped the bullets off his jacket and pulled it down to reveal three small bruises.

"Hm… to think a simple little gun could hurt me. Small damage, but still."

 **{His magic reserves also seem very small. Even a newborn Devil has larger reserves than he, so he won't be able to maintain the Elemental Shackle for long, much less summon a Balance Breaker.}**

"So that means he may be a very weak Dragon King… Well, I can still detect the amount of light he has, and it seems to be in a much larger quantity. Why not use your light power instead of that thing you call a weapon."

Keith reached behind him, grabbing Bolt Castor again as he jumped just off the ground and spun, sending forth a wave of Arc.

Vali easily dodged it by flying to the side, but Keith predicted this and created an Axion Bolt grenade, throwing it into the air and hitting the ceiling, the range of the bolt detecting Vali as it flew towards him.

He saw the bolt coming t him at a slow speed, raising his hand up between he and it and easily flicking it with his finger.

"Is that the power of your light? Grenades that don't even do anything other than annoy the target?"

"If you don't like the grenades…" Keith ran forward, jumping onto the Spider Queen corpse and using it as support to jump higher, grasping the air in front of him as he Blinked forward, arm pulled back as a swirl of Void was in hand. "The let me introduce a bomb!"

He then threw forward his Nova Bomb, performing a Lance to increase the speed as the giant purple orb of death flew towards Vali.

Instead of moving, Vali raised his hand forward.

 **{Half Dimension!}** His wings yelled out as the size and speed of Nova Bomb suddenly reduced to half, Vali then using his leg to kick the Nova Bomb off to the side.

"What?!"

"Weak… far too weak…" Vali looked down at Keith, who raised his gun up at him again, only for Vali to dive down and grab Keith by the collar, taking him up. Once he got close to the top of the room, he released Keith and then kicked him straight to the ground.

He flew right into the floor below, a small crater being made around him as he made impact.

"I had more entertainment fighting Azazel's granddaughter, and she is weak."

Keith reached behind him again, grabbing a large red machine gun with three barrels, known as the Super Good Advice. Mainly because the gun was full of it.

He pulled the hammer back on the machine gun, quickly aiming down the sight as he pulled the trigger when he aimed at Vali.

The Solar Light infused bullets flew towards him, signaling him to then fly around the room and dodge the bullets. And he did just that, easily avoiding each bullet.

But for each bullet Keith missed and hit the wall with, another bullet through whatever form of technology that is inside the gun, often believed to be the bullets themselves after developing a sense of awareness, was immediately loaded back into the gun.

The recoil from the gun will make him sore from how many bullets he is unloading on Vali, but he flew through the swarm of bullets as if they were nothing.

One grazed his shoulder, making a light tear in his jacket as well as a very small cut along his skin, but he then glew towards Keith from behind, punching him in the back and causing him to drop his gun before grabbing his arm and holding it behind his back, his heel digging into the Warlock's spine.

"You rely on weapons too much to be an Elemental Dragon King. It'd be better you if just died and let the Sacred Gear move onto the next host and let them become stronger than you." Vali then twisted Keith's arm, actually dislocating his shoulder as Keith yelled in pain.

Vali then moved onto his arm with the Elemental Shackle still on it, using his other foot to stomp on his limb and cause him to scream in pain this time.

"You may have grazed my shoulder, but that isn't anywhere near enough to have a chance at beating me. After all, a Dragon King has never beat a Heavenly Dragon in the past." He twisted his heel on the back of Keith's hand, on the gem as it cracked slightly while releasing a faint yellow glow.

Keith tried his best to hold back his scream, but it still escaped his mouth and echoed through the cave.

"Honestly… when I find this 'Hunter,' I hope he is more entertaining than you. I even heard he has the Black Cat with him, so an SS criminal in the Underworld who is a master of Senjutsu also sounds like a promising foe, don't you think?"

"Grgh!"

"Hm. Seems you can't talk anymore. I guess I'll be nice and make it quick." Vali reached downwards and grabbed the sides of Keith's head, turning his head around a full 180 degrees as he snapped his neck with a loud, cringe worthy snap.

Keith's body became motionless in a split second, Vali smirking slightly as the Elemental Shackle disappeared from his hand. Stepping off the new corpse of a Warlock, he retracted his wings again as he stared at his latest kill.

 **{It was a shame Plutinia had to be put together with such a weak host. It would have been better for him to be put with another Human who was reincarnated as either an Angel or Devil.}**

"I have to agree. This Human was far too weak, even if he looks like him with that armor. There isn't anything else I can do now, so I'm leaving this place before I get the stench of spider blood on me." A white magic circle appeared to his side, but he turned and looked at Keith's body one more time, only to see it disintegrate before reappearing again, this time fully healed as he was set ablaze by Solar Light, a pair of large, fiery wings on his back.

 **{A Phoenix?! That is impossible! Humans cannot mate with Phoenixes and produce offspring!}**

Keith created two Fusion grenades in both hands, throwing them both at the same time at Vali.

He raised his arms to protect himself from the grenades, only to have them both stick to his arms before exploding and sending him backwards.

Keith ran forward in his burning Light, stopping a small distance from Vali as he sent an open palm at the White Dragon, his Scorch coming from his hand and burning Vali's arm partially.

"If I rely too much on weapons… then let me call my storms!" His flames disappeared as clouds, despite how impossible it should be, formed above him.

Vali looked at the clouds, partially confused by their appearance.

 _'_ _That isn't possible. The only Sacred Gear capable of altering weather in any form is Zenith Tempest. Unless…'_

Elemental Shackle appeared on his hand again, this time the gem glowing yellow but switching to Arc blue as a voice shouted from it.

 **(Stormcaller!)**

Lightning shot down from the clouds above, striking Keith who then absorbed the lightning before channeling it through his body, starting to cackle like the storm he held within before slamming both hands onto the floor.

He released a large pulse of lightning that surged through the room, electrifying everything and destroying any remaining webs in the room.

Vali created a magic circle to defend himself, easily blocking the damage, but managing to send him backwards slightly.

Keith was panting heavily under his helmet, his armor disappearing before he fell onto the ground, Elemental Shackle disappearing when he made contact.

Vali looked at the Warlock, a tad bit of anger before being replaced by a calm look.

"I guess he gets to live… until someone stronger finds him." He created another magic circle, stepping through it as he was teleported away.

Keith remained there, unmoving as he had lost his consciousness with that one attack. The corpse of the Spider Queen then moved slightly, the wounds on her actually healing with steam coming from each wound.

She stood up on all eight of her legs, her eight eyes turning towards him. She lowered her body near his, using her front left leg to poke him.

He could not respond due to his lack of consciousness, but she did it again as she got the same reaction out of him. She lowered herself closer to him, all either of her eyes focusing on him. From multiple holes in the walls, small spiders of normal size all climbed out and they all assembled before their queen.

 **"** **Take him… follow…"** The Queen then started crawling upwards, towards a hole in the ceiling as her minions followed her order by picking up his body, each spider linking to one another and carry him efficiently before carrying him to the wall and moving up the wall with him, following their Queen as they left their former den.

 _Scene Transition…_

* * *

Saka… was not having the best of days.

Sure he did just take out Kuroka's Evil Pieces, making her no longer a Devil and removing any link she has to that guy who called himself her master. Sure he now has the evidence to prove her innocence. And maybe he was developing a thing for her, but he couldn't be too sure.

But now Keith was missing. Arashi wasn't answering. He had no clue where they were. And Kuroka was laying down on top of him, thankfully in her kitten form and recreating the image he somewhat missed as he laid out across the couch.

That wasn't really a negative for him, but still. His cousin was MIA.

"Would you be able to track him since you've been under the same roof for a small amount of time?"

"Nope… nya."

"Dang it…" He sighed as he pushed his head slightly deeper into the cushion. He knew his cousin could handle himself in many situations, but they would face an entirely different league of enemies thanks to the Supernatural entities.

He shuddered at the thought of fighting Gods. Maybe Thor, since he can absorb most lightning and channel it into his blade, but still.

He did not want to be hit by a Mjolnir. That sounded painful.

Before he could properly ponder where his cousin may be, the doorbell rang. Both he and Kuroka picked their heads up in response, herself looking at him with a questioning look.

"I don't know. I'm not expecting anyone… Least, as far as I know." With some regret, he pulled his favorite kitten-form Nekoshou off him and got off the couch. He made his way out of his living room and to the front door.

He opened the front door and was greeted by the strangest thing he could ever imagine.

Keith was on the ground, spiders underneath him and carrying him as he was not awake.

Standing on the other side of his cousin was a rather beautiful woman who had long, light brown hair that could reach her thighs and a pair of black eyes. She had partially pale skin with no blemish in any spot along with a figure that could give Raynare a run for her money.

But the thing that confused him was the fact she was stark naked with two spiders on her shoulders.

"He is… yours… is he not?"

Saka stared at the woman before turning his head to the side.

"Kuroka… do you think you can help me with something?"

* * *

Before anyone asks, I came up with her on the spot. If there is a character like her in any anime, coincidence.

But yes, Vali makes an early appearance, and he is hunting for a certain dark haired duo. Reason? Kuroka did make a name for herself in the underworld for being a very dangerous criminal, and Saka has (accidently) made a name for himself as a Stray Devil Hunter and Fallen Angel killer.

Things will be a bit awkward for a bit since the Raiser arc won't be happening as quick as it did in the original, and the same thing could be said about the Kokabiel arc since I will lengthen that one when I reach it.

Also, to those who've seen Den-O.

How?

How did Ryotaro get a bike in the tree like that?

I am very certain that is nearly impossible without the use of a crane or lift or ladder.

Yes, I know, plot reasons, but still!

I also guess I will be mentioning that I forgot to mention that I've seen W. OOO is my favorite rider, but a certain Hard-boiled detective takes my spot as favorite protagonist. I've also finished Fourze now, and plan on watching Gaim after either Kabuto or Agito since I've practically seen all Neo-Heisei at this point.

Another thing is Ex-Aid.

I am partially confused by him, but at the same time, incredibly curious about how his season will be.

Also, due to recent messages, I'm just going to get this out of the way since most people have been asking me.

I do not like Rias in the slightest. On my bar of like and dislike, she is under that bar, far, far, far, under.

Reasons?

Well, she DID decide to let Issei be killed by Raynare in canon, during which she could easily have warned him about her, instead, she thought that his death is the perfect opportunity to have him join her peerage. In other words, she used his death to force him into servitude, where if he disobeyed, she has the right to kill him again.

Some people find her to be attractive, right? Well, not me. Her crimson hair? I'm surprised Issei doesn't have flashbacks to when Raynare stabbed him and he compared his blood to her hair. Most males would drool at the sight of her body, correct?

No. Her body is just… I know I may be sounding like a hypocrite since my favorite DxD girl is Kuroka, who has a body just as developed as hers, only she is shorter in height, but Kuroka exposes her body since she's a teaser, and she doesn't go so far as stripping naked just because it she sees the boy she loves. (As far as I know. I have not gone past the anime other than a few fanfics that take place after Issei's second death.)

Rias exposes her body, COMPLETELY, to Issei how many times? And she sleeps with him, completely nude, for so long just because she's trying to make him love her. She also uses her body to try and coerce him to listen to her commands. It will work since let's remember, the canon Ise is the very incarnation of lust, and he's a very big breast man, so of course, the logical thing she decides to do is to use her body to keep him under her command.

The amount of arrogance she has is enough to make Mt. Everest look small. Let's remember back in season one, during the fight against Viser, the monstrosity of a Stray Devil, she decided to bring Issei, who was still completely new to the Supernatural world, to a fight where he could lose his life again. Not only that, she decided to use the fight as an opportunity to explain the Evil Pieces.

Now, if I were a Stray Devil, and an arrogant High Class Devil and their peerage came to kill me, but their King decided to educate say, a newly incarnated bishop and leave both of them exposed, I would try to kill them. Remember, Viser almost managed to attack her too, as she is not observant of her environment.

Oh, and let's not forget about the time she decided to fight Kokabiel, a Fallen Angel with 10 wings, with nothing but her peerage, when she could've easily had Sirzechs or Serafall, two people who most likely saw Kokabiel in action during the Great War and fought him before, come fight him.

She practically brought them all to a death trap. A Cadre class Fallen angel against a group of Low class Devils led by a High class Devil who earned that rank by just being the daughter of a renowned family, which I can't help but say that is total bull, but she also only has experience fighting the average low ranking stray Devil and a SINGLE rating game against another High class Devil who only earned that status just because they were born into that family. She lost, yes, but that is also because Riser has more experience fighting other Devils, so he is stronger than Rias at that point despite his arrogance.

Let's not forget that she also brought them to fight an insane priest who is more than willing to kill them with one of their worst weaknesses, a Holy Sword, but not just any as it was the Excalibur. She even decided to only explain the threat of Excalibur when not one, but 5 were in the area.

I could complain about how she doesn't try to help Kiba, Akeno, or Koneko with their pasts, but I will give her the benefit of the doubt on this one since she most likely has no clue how to help them properly.

Next is her plan to escape the marriage between her and Riser… deciding the best method to break the engagement must be having sex with Issei.

Who the hell thinks like that?! What in the name of all that is Light, and yes I'm using a Destiny form for these kinds of phrases, is that plan supposed to accomplish?!

Congratulations! You just gave away your virginity to someone you don't even love, someone who you didn't plan on spending the rest of your life with, along with the chance, despite how low it may be, that you could've just become pregnant.

Oh, but let's not forget the important one.

Did the thought that maybe, just maybe, Issei could be afraid of confessing his feelings to another girl after Raynare because he did care for her, only to be betrayed by a spear to the stomach? Apparently not, because all she wanted to hear was him say her bloody name.

He sacrifices his arm, something that is forever irreversible, to save her. He nearly dies fighting Riser to defend her from him. He fights with everything he has, going so far as trying to break his limit against Vali even during their first fight. He's fought to the death for her name on numerous occasions, but just because he can't say her name, she thinks he doesn't love her?

I could go on, and on, and on about why I do not like her, but I would eventually make it to where it would be what I would do in certain occasions, and we all know that's boring.

Yes, I know some girls share the same traits, Akeno for example since they're both known as the two hottest girls in Kuoh and both love Issei, but Akeno has traits to back herself up with, along with most, if not all, of the other girls.

Being the daughter of a Fallen Angel recorded in the holy scripts? That can explain to a degree any arrogance she may have as she can have the power to back it up since she did inherit Baraqiel's holy lightning powers and he would be more than willing to train her had the event beforehand not happened.

Same thing can be said for Kuroka and Koneko. Both are a rare breed of Nekomata who the older one mastered the art of manipulating the Ki flow of others and casting illusions and is teaching her younger sister who is unlocking power even she didn't get.

Asia… well, Asia is the cute and shy healer of the group who tries her best to get with Ise, and honestly, I believe SHE should've been his girlfriend instead of Gremory. That looks like a cute couple, and someone please tell me of a painter who drew a picture of them together.

Irina is a childhood friend for him, and from what I've seen in the anime and other sources outside of Fanfiction, they were close friends. I won't spoil anything late like volume 18, since she tells him of a promise they had since they were kids, but I won't say it in case some guys don't know. She is also now an Angel who works under Michael, so I honestly expect that she is put under vigorous training to show she earned that right.

Xenovia is the wielder of Durandal, a Holy sword on par with Excalibur and later having it become Ex-Durandal as she can wield it without problem. Enough said.

As I said before, I could continue going on about how I do not like Rias, but it would eventually turn into me saying what I would've done in her situation. Hell, I'm really considering her never finding any man in this story at all. I've even come up with someone for Riser for Light's sake!

Also, I will be spending most of my time on Rise of Iron. If anyone wants to join me, either look for a Warlock or Hunter wearing typically dark clothing with nothing of the Trials gear. I lost interest in TOO back in June, and I might not even bother with the new sets. I will, however, be wearing the new Iron Lord gear for said classes, and most definitely the new Iron Banner gear with matching weapons. And when it comes out, SIVA armor.

Heck, I might still be wearing my Kings Fall armor for my Warlock since it looks awesome.

I will be coming for you, Exotic Khvostov! … and Thorn, but eh… assault rifles are cool.

Farewell, and let us meet next time.


	11. Chapter 11

Welp... I basically got all I can do at the moment in Rise of Iron already. I just need someone to help a 367 Hunter kill phase 2 Aksis with all the monitors so I can get that freaking pulse rifle.

Seriously! It is a SIVA pulse rifle! Who doesn't want one?!

Current votes:

Asia: 11

Irina: 4

Ravel: 2

Koneko: 1

Akeno: 1

Xenovia: 0

Newly added Le Fay in replacement of Kiyome: 0

It seems the tie between Akeno, Koneko, and Ravel has been broken, but for how long?

No, seriously. How long before someone votes for Akeno and Koneko? I don't want to deal with another tie, or like I said, instead of three, he'll five.

Reviews:

 **Squadpunk 2.0:** She's a spider queen. I believe they should be durable considering how spider queens in the past are.

 **Joking4ever:** The best way to get gear now is either Iron Banner when it's around, Trials, or the Raid. If not, try Heroic SIVA crisis strikes. That worked for me. Also, let's remember Keith is a Warlock, not a Titan or Hunter. Warlocks are not known for their strength or agility, only their manipulation of Light and intellect. Radiance makes their body a bit more durable along with their abilities becoming stronger, but it doesn't make them god like.

Ok, maybe in Crucible when you see a Self Rez on the enemy team right in front of you and you're out of shotgun shells and his scorch is about to kill you, maybe. Otherwise, not so much...

 **temisticmist2000:** I know of my grammar issues and re-read my chapters on a daily basis, and thank you.

 **Guest:** How she and Keith met will be explained later, along with when she awakens. And let's remember, her wings, something she's had her entire life, were taken from her. I believe such shock should leave someone bedridden for a few days.

 **Deathwatch 45:** Rise of Iron will take place in this story, but when it happens, I cannot tell. And while I do appreciate your offer for an additional OC as a side character, I have that covered with a few extras still in my mind. Thank you though.

Now, onto the chapter!

* * *

Chapter 11: A Dragon and Hunter talk

* * *

Saka… was… well, utterly confused to say the least.

The girl with the long brown hair sat across him, spiders crawling over her body as he was surprised she did not act in any way to their multiple legs moving across her.

Kuroka could never deal with such a thing. She may be an infamous and powerful Nekoshou, but she was still a woman who would never let so many spiders on her body. Not even one.

As such, she sat behind Saka, looking over his shoulder at the woman across from them both. She couldn't help but think the presence she gave off was very… spiderlike.

Saka had his eyes closed, cheeks red since the woman was still butt naked.

"So… why… was Keith with you… miss…?"

"He distracted… the White Dragon. He gave… me the time… to heal."

"The what now?"

"The… White Dragon… Emperor."

"…Who?"

"The White Dragon Emporer." Kuroka informed him by talking by his side. "A title belonging to the wielder of Divine Divider, a Longinus class Sacred Gear."

"Long… inus? Like, the spear that was used to pierce Jesus, right?"

"Yes. They are Sacred Gears that rise above others with their incredible power, capable of killing Gods when in the right hands."

"Oh…"

'Keep those away from you…'

 _"_ _Oh yeah…"_

"The… White Dragon… he came to… my den… he did me… a favor… in eliminating my traitors."

"Traitors?" Saka grew curious at this point as Kuroka flinched slightly. "I… take it you are a leader?"

"Yes… I am… Arachia, Queen of… the Spider Kingdom."

A shiver ran down his spine when he heard that part. And entire kingdom of spiders. Lina would be having nightmares for days, maybe weeks.

"Well… hello… your highness." He gave a light wave from his side, a bit wary of the spiders now.

She had a stoic gaze on him, possibly not even registering what he just said. Afterwards, a feeling of awkward silence took over, no one willing to speak. Saka's hands moved down to his sides, wary of 'Arachia' herself as his hands were ready to grab the handle of any weapon of his.

Kuroka could sense his wariness, but it wasn't as strong as when he was fighting the knight from the Knights of the Devil order.

Arachia only stared at them both, her spiders covering her body as her stoic gaze didn't waver.

"…"

"…"

"… Are you… two in love?"

"…Excuse me?"

"You are… lovers… right?"

Saka blinked in response as did Kuroka. Both dark haired members of the household turned and looked at each other, Kuroka smirking while Saka only groaned.

"No, no we're not."

"But we can be~."

"For Light's sake…" He held his face with his palm, a sigh of annoyance escaping his mouth as he turned towards her. "Even if you and I do become, in your terms, 'mates', I would not be having sex as the first thing between us!"

"Oh come on…" She wrapped her arms around his neck, pressing herself against him as his cheeks turned pink. "All I'm asking for is a kitten or two, nya. Just before I turn twenty."

"And I'm telling you that I'm not having sex with you! … and before you turn twenty?"

"Can't you tell? I'm only 18."

"You're 18 and already wanting a kid?" _'And I thought most Guardians were desperate.'_

"Well, that number will be changing to 19 eventually…"

"For the love of… you're younger than me, by both my ages, and you want children?"

"Hm? Both ages, nya? What do you mean by that?"

"That's… something only a Hunter can understand."

"The White Dragon… has also mentioned… a Hunter… with… a Black Cat…"

They both turned towards her, Kuroka confused as Saka raised an eyebrow.

"What? Why would he be coming for me?"

"So you… are the Hunter?"

"Yes, I'm a Hunter. The Hunter of Light to be specific."

"The… White Dragon… he is… powerful… He had… knocked me out… after Dividing my power…"

"After… 'Dividing' your power? …What the heck does that mean?"

"Divine Divider has the power to half the power of their opponent, adding that power to the host."

"Are you… So he TAKES other people's power?!"

"Basically. From what I've heard too, the new host was trained under Azazel, the leader of the Fallen Angel faction."

Saka's face partially paled when he heard that. Azazel… he was recorded in the holy scripts. And by what he was going by from what Kuroka told him, those who've been mentioned in texts of any kind, holy or mythical, they exist and are very, very powerful.

So if a person who can take half his own power was trained under the leader of the Fallen Angels, who was most likely leagues above Dohnaseek, he dared not get on his bad side until his power grew larger.

"Crap… The Hunter has become the Hunted…" He looked back at Arachia, only to see she was gone now. Turning to the side of the room, he saw a small group of spiders heading for his door, squeezing under the entrance and leaving. "Oh… well that isn't creepy in the slightest."

'And I thought the time we were stuck in the Hive catacombs under Earth for a week was the creepiest thing we'd ever had to see and deal with.'

* * *

 _Scene transition…_

* * *

 _"_ _Can you really heal her? Y-You weren't joking with me, right?!" Issei asked/demanded from the two Guardians who were placing Asia down on a bed that had its sheets removed and replaced by a very absorbent cloth. Her wound had yet to stop bleeding, her skin now turning pale compared to the brighter shade it once was._

 _"_ _Of course we can. I'm alive, aren't I?" Saka informed him, but the answer only confused the pseudo Sunbreaker._

 _"_ _You're alive? Does that mean-"_

 _"_ _Don't think too into it. Saka, does Ghost have anything I can use to stop the bleeding?"_

 _"_ _Think so. Ghost?"_

 _In a quick flash of light, a small bottle with a greenish white liquid appeared in his hand along with a needle sticking into the cork, but Saka then tossed it over to Keith who then pulled the needle back to fill it with the liquid before taking it out of the cork and grab Asia's arm, flipping it over to the underside as he pressed the needle into one of her veins._

 _He pushed the liquid into her vein with the needle, pulling it out afterwards as it disappeared with the bottle._

 _"_ _That should slow it for now…"_

 _"_ _Slow what?" Issei grew curious and concerned about what they mean't and what they just put into Asia._

 _"_ _We slowed her heart. This way, her blood won't be moving around so much and heading to her wound. Anymore and she'd die from blood loss. Keith, can Arashi close the wound and give her back any lost blood?"_

 _"_ _Yes. I had to do the same to Kyle before I left for the Vault." Keith raised his left hand, leaving it open as Arashi formed in his palm by a flash of Light._

 _Upon sight of the mechanical Orb of Light, Issei's eyes widened in surprise and shock from him appearing from nowhere._

 _"_ _What is-"_

 _"_ _His partner." A voice Issei did not know spoke from Saka's direction, making him grow curious again as he turned towards the Hunter to see Ghost hovering over his shoulder. "Im his partner."_

 _"_ _What the heck?!"_

 _"_ _Don't bother. You don't know enough to understand." Saka's eyes moved to Ghost as he motioned Ghost to move to Asia, Ghost complying as he and Arashi both flew to Asia and released their thin beams of Light._

 _"…_ _She's lost a lot of blood. But… nothing too serious. She'll have enough to heal overnight when we're done." Both Ghosts looked at each other before looking at her wound, their beams coming together into a larger beam that came out of their eyes and onto her wound._

 _Issei couldn't do anything but look at her in concern and worry. Saka stepped beside him and grabbed his shoulder, causing him to turn and look at the older male._

 _"_ _She'll live. This isn't the first time either of them had to heal anyone. They've had plenty of experience with me and he since we get hurt. A lot."_

 _"…_ _Back in the church, you said you didn't want to tell me that you could. Why? If you're healing her right now, why did you say you can't?"_

 _"…"_ _He looked at the highschooler who was… oddly very close to his height. Maybe an inch or two in difference, but he was really close to his height. "What was her name again? Gregory, right?"_

 _"_ _Gremory."_

 _Saka only shrugged his shoulders. "Meh, close enough. The reason is because I don't want her to know anymore about me than she may already know. She seemed determined to make me into one of those 'Devils.' Let's just say… my body can't accept losing my Light."_

 _"_ _What do you-"_

 _"_ _Look… I'll explain another time. Come here Saturday night. I want some sleep…" With that, Saka turned from him and Keith, heading to the door and leaving._

 _Keith stepped away from the bed, tapping Issei's shoulder._

 _"_ _You should get some rest. I do not know much of Japanese schools, but I do know you go to school tomorrow."_

 _"_ _How do you not know that much about Japanese schools?"_

 _"_ _By birth, I'm Russian."_

 _"_ _But… you don't-"_

 _"_ _I was born into an English speaking Japanese family. But like I said, get some rest. You will most likely need it." Keith then moved to the door and left, leaving only Issei and the Ghosts who were occupied at the moment in the room._

 _'_ _I guess… there is much I can do to help her… I'm sorry, Asia…'_

 _He turned away from the bed, leaving the room before he left the house._

 _But again, no one knew that Rias Gremory's familiar was watching._

* * *

 _Scene Transition…_

* * *

That memory kept replaying through Issei's mind at the current moment, despite being in school. He held one hand in front of him, the one that strange gauntlet appeared on, staring at his own arm.

 _'_ _How did I do that? What's… what's happening to me?'_

He couldn't understand anything anymore. He had set himself on fire, yet he wasn't harmed at all. A gauntlet appeared on his hand and it somehow made him feel stronger, if not twice as strong as he was when it appeared. Then, it was Saka and Keith.

What were they?

They had powers he never thought of. They wore odd armor and their weapons were almost otherworldly. Then there was their floating orb things.

He couldn't understand it at all. What did he do in his life to deserve this?

"Hyoudou, are you listening?" The voice of the teacher took Issei out of his mind and sent him back to reality, his eyes focusing on the teacher.

"Y-Yes sir! I am!"

"Good. This will be on the test, so you better-"

The teacher was interrupted when the final bell rang. He sighed as he closed the book in his hand, turning his gaze towards Issei one more time. "Remember, this will be on the test Monday, so you had better taken good notes. Dismissed."

He gave a relieved sigh as he didn't even realize it was getting that late already. He put his stuff into his bag before getting out of his chair. He left the class, going through the crowd of students in the halls before leaving through the entrance of the school.

But, as he approached the gate, he saw a familiar white haired underclassman of his.

He paid her no mind, not even acknowledging her presence as he moved for the gate, but she grabbed his shirt to get his attention, forcing him to turn and look towards her.

"…Follow me." She said in her monotone tone, but because they were in public, many students heard what she said as they saw her hand on his blazer.

"No way! Toujou is asking Hyoudou to follow her?!"

"Did Hyoudou do something to her to force her to talk to him?!"

"I bet he's blackmailing her and he's forcing her to be his stress relief!"

The last comment got to him, Issei turning and looking at the student who made that comment to see a guy with a shaved head almost and squinted eyes.

Matsuda, the second biggest pervert in the school, best friends with the first biggest pervert, Motohama. Together they made up the perverted duo.

And thankfully for him, their credibility is very, very bad with other students.

"Nah… Hyoudou couldn't do that. He doesn't show any signs of perversion like you."

"Yeah… the day Hyoudou blackmails one of the most popular girls in school will be the day a guy born from a God from another world comes to ours."

He had no clue how close he was with the local Hunter.

"Come on! That has to explain why Toujou would even talk to the guy!" Matsuda tried to defend himself, only for a small group of students to surround and began berating him for his perversion.

Koneko tugged his shirt again, letting go afterwards as she walked away from the flash mob. Issei looked at the group one more time before sighing, deciding to follow Koneko.

They walked a few blocks away from the school, Koneko looking up and around as if she was examining the area.

"So, you need something? If it has anything to do with Rias, then tell her I'm not interested."

"…This isn't about Rias or anything Devil related. I want to ask you a question."

He looked at her, a bit confused now as to why she would bring him here before deciding to let her speak, nodding his head.

"…Back at the church… last night… was there… anyone else, other than you, the nun, Hikari, and the other guy?"

"Anyone else?" He raised his hand to his chin as his expression changed to one showing he was thinking, trying to remember everyone at the church last night.

He could remember Rias practically admitting she was going to have him die for her own advantage, something he still felt a bit pissed at. Before that, he remembers setting himself ablaze when Saka seemed to have… released something from inside him, that strange gauntlet also appearing and making him stronger.

Before that… before that, he does remember he and Asia saw a rather attractive young woman who looked like a Neko you'd see in anime or manga.

"There… I think there was one other."

"Can you… describe them?"

"Yeah… a woman, I'd have to say somewhere near Saka's age, so maybe early twenties or younger. She had black hair that was pretty long, but she did have her hair tied into those two weird loops on her back. She also… she had cat ears, I think. That's about all I can remember, she left before Dohnaseek attacked Asia. Actually… she did have hazel eyes… kind of… like… you…"

He looked at her, seeing only that similarity between them, but he also saw her expression.

She looked… afraid and worried. And had he been better at reading expressions, he could've seen the slight hope she had.

She took a step back from him, taking one more before turning around and running away.

"What he- hey!" He yelled out at her, running after her as she turned a corner, turning the corner himself only to come across an empty street. "What… was that about?"

He stood there, truly confused by her reaction before his phone began ringing. He took it out of his pocket and saw there was now caller ID, not even a number on the other side. Hesitantly, he pressed the answer button and held it to his ear.

"H-Hello?"

" _Did I get the number right? It's me, Hikari."_

"Oh… you… kinda got me afraid since I thought a stalker or something was calling me."

" _You popular at school?"_

"…No…"

 _"_ _Uh huh… Well, good news for you, Argento is up."_

"Really?! She is?!" He was surprised to hear she was awake already, joy in his body to know she was alright. Then his mind remember he said 'good news,' usually followed by bad news. "And… the bad news?"

" _…_ _I never said there was any. Well, unless you count having to stay in my house for a few since I do owe you an explanation about what happened."_

"Explanation?" He was unsure about what he mean't, but then he remembered the memory from last night, after watching them begin their healing process for Asia. He did say he would give him an explanation Saturday night, and it was technically night. "Oh man! I nearly forgot!"

 _"_ _Then get over here. I'm giving you limited time to get here before I decide to say screw it and go to sleep. By the way, if you do manage to get a stalker, make sure she isn't batshit crazy about you."_ The call then ended as Saka most likely ended it, Issei pulling the phone from his ear and putting it in his pocket again as he looked to the sky to see the sun just over the horizon.

Deciding to try his best and run there, he broke into a full blown sprint, intent on hearing that explanation to know what was happening to his life.

But as he ran, a single question came to his mind.

 _'_ _How did he get my number?_

 _…_ _and what did he mean by make sure the stalker isn't batshit crazy?'_

* * *

 _Scene Transition…_

* * *

He stood in front of the door, easily feeling the nervousness inside him.

In his mind, he thought of three things possibly happening.

First, Saka opens the door with a gun aimed at his face and pulls the trigger, killing him without a care.

The second was the other guy opening the door with a gun aimed at his face, pulling the trigger and killing him without a problem.

The third was the woman, if she was there, opening the door and possibly hitting him with… something. Magic maybe?

He didn't know what, but there was something about the two guys that he couldn't help but say he was afraid of. There was something about that woman too, but he didn't know what.

He didn't realize that the door was open and standing in front of him was a certain blonde Italian.

"Issei?" She asked him as he was brought out of his thoughts, surprised to see she was up already despite what happened last night.

"No way… you… you're awake? Is… is it really you, Asia?" He was more or less shocked to see her standing right in front of him.

Asia, however, reacted by jumping forward and hugging the young brunette, shocking him and embarrassing him.

"Oh, Issei! It's so good to see you again!" She spoke with a joyful tone that Issei couldn't help but think was fitting for someone like her.

"Y-Yeah… it's good to see you too, Asia." His hands moved up, returning the hug as he was glad to see the young nun again. She held onto him a bit tight now that he thought about it, a bit confused to why she would be doing so.

"So… you two need a room?" A voice spoke from the other side of the door, making Issei look over Asia to see Saka drinking something with a slight smirk on his face. "I mean… if you two want to, I do know the location of a good hotel near the station on the north side of town…"

Their hug was cut off when Asia turned around and looked at the Hunter, her mind not understanding what he mean't as Issei's face turned bright red, a quick burst of steam coming out of his ears.

"A hotel? Why would we need a hotel room?"

Issei was shocked to hear Asia say, but he figured that maybe it was because she was a nun. Maybe the priests she was with kept her from anything dirty, leaving her with the innocent mind of a child.

"No reason!" Issei was quick to deny Saka's offer as the Hunter smirked slightly before taking another sip of his drink, leaning against the wall as he watched the two teens in front of him. "H-He's just joking when he s-spoke of a hotel, right Mr. H-Hikari?"

"Don't call me Mr. Hikari… makes me feel old. I prefer Saka with anyone."

"Oh, uh… right… sorry Mr. Hi- I mean Saka…"

"Good… now, you going to come in or are you going to stand there all day?" He said before finishing the rest of his drink, tossing the cup to the side as it landed in a trash can before leaving the entrance.

Issei took his shoes off, leaving them at the door as Asia led him to the room Saka went to, seeing said Hunter standing in the middle of the room with Kuroka sitting on the couch.

"I guess welcome to my humble abode, but we should make this quick. I don't want your parents to worry about you and call the cops on me. So go ahead and take a seat. Just not the one she's on." Saka said as he pointed behind him towards Kuroka, who in response raised a hand up and tilted it by her wrist, mimicking a cat's paw.

Issei couldn't help but stare at the beautiful woman across from him, turning towards Saka and asking him a single question.

"Dude… how did you get a Neko as a girlfriend?"

"For Light's sake…" Saka groaned when he heard the question, his palm covering his face and sliding down before coming off his chin. "She isn't my girlfriend. Originally, she was my kitten who I knew as Kurai, but she is apparently… well, her."

"Don't you know how many men would try to kill you for having someone like her?!"

"They can try since I won't die to something as stupid as twenty first century bullets and weapons… Like I said… go ahead and take a seat…" He groaned slightly again before moving to his couch, sitting on the cushion opposite of Kuroka while Issei saw an open chair.

He moved to the chair provided to him by the Hunter as he turned to look at him, trying his best to also keep his gaze from wandering over to the Nekoshou opposite from him who didn't even bother with covering her bosom.

Asia saw Issei's pink cheeks and gaze that didn't want to look at the older woman in front of her, her eyes specifically looking at Kuroka's much larger chest before looking at her own, a bit of jealousy forming in her from how lucky said Nekoshou was.

"Alright… now, an explanation…" Saka leaned backwards before sitting down in his chair, leaning forward with his hands supporting his head by holding his chin. "Where do I start…"

"I say start with you~." Kuroka spoke out as Saka's eyes looked at her briefly before looking up.

"I would say no, but… that is a good starting point. Still, no, I'll save that part for later… Ah, got it. I'll start from the beginning. Be warned, I'm basically giving you the abridged version since the original story itself would take a day or two to explain.

Centuries ago, we were just basic Humans, the average lives that you live today. On our first expedition to Mars, we had sent three astronauts. While there, they had discovered something that changed everything as we knew it.

The Traveler.

The Traveler was a large orb who remained in the sky, his presence releasing the power we wield, he was the source of Light. His presence with us and our newly enhanced bodies gave us the power to enter an age of harmony and advancement we never could have managed before. We called this the Golden Age.

Human lifespan tripled, then doubled after that until every Human had the capability of living up to a thousand years, somehow all of us even being gifted eternal youth. We later found out we could manipulate this Light, many of us finding different ways to channel their Light.

Our civilizations rose and expanded across the system, all of us believing nothing could stop us. But then… the Darkness came.

The Darkness has no physical form, other than the Hearts of Darkness its left behind. The Darkness is the Traveler's oldest enemy. The Traveler almost gave up its life to send the Darkness back to the reaches of the universe, but it still lived. After, we recovered after the small skirmish, but the Darkness left behind creatures you all would know as aliens."

Ghost displayed a hologram showing four figures. One was the form of a Fallen captain, the next was a Hive knight, the third was a Vex Minotaur, as the last one was a Cabal Centurion.

"Fallen, Hive, Vex, Cabal… these creatures took our worlds from us, the Fallen even using our own technology to build their creations.

The Fallen as scavengers, and they are only alive because they live off a substance we call Ether. They breath it and require it to live, so when we pop their helmets off, they're dead.

The Hive are the kind that I can see matching this world. They use dark, and evil magic against us, especially their wizards. They create abominations from their own soldiers, and all they want is to feast upon our Light.

The Vex are ancient, mechanical creatures whose origins we don't even know. Our brightest minds believe they were there when the universe was created, as they are all of a single mind spread across an unlimited amount of units. They are one of the more dangerous races we've fought since they control time itself.

Last, we have the Cabal. These creatures are nothing but war. They'll blow up anything that gets in their way, be it planets, stars, moons, everything. Like I said, they are highly military based, and without a doubt the smartest out of all the agents of Darkness.

But, among the Hive is their King… a creature of Darkness so powerful, it has access to the Darkness itself to make his own army by taking the bodies of any creature, breaking their minds and wills, then sending them back into our plane of existence, broken but stronger."

The hologram changed to show a larger Hive creature with bat like wings, two long horns on the sides of its head with three eyes and a massive sword.

"Oryx… the Taken King. The God of the Hive himself. He is one of the most dangerous threats to have ever come to our system, intent on avenging his fallen son, Crota, the Hive Prince.

Crota was another threat to our system, having taken our Moon with his army and extinguishing the Light of many, many Guardians. Thankfully, he was killed in due time before he could wipe us out."

Ghost then changed the hologram again, this time showing a Hunter, a Warlock, and a Titan.

"Now, here we have the Guardians. Hunters, Warlocks, Titans… all of us have a sworn duty of protecting the Last City on Earth and Humanity.

I am a Hunter. We are the scouts, the assassains of the Guardians. Our skill with a gun is only matched with our wit. We don't play by the rules either, exploiting whatever weakness we can in our enemy. We even take big risks for bigger rewards. Our speed is our trademark if you will.

Next are the Warlocks, like Keith. They are the smartest of the Guardians, always finding new ways to shape and manipulate Light for all of us, but some also seek forbidden knowledge. The mind of a Warlock is a palace, but at the same time, a prison. For every thought they have that can enhance Humanity, they always come up with a thought that can lead to destruction. Their intellect is their trademark.

Last are the Titans, the kind you imitated back at the church. They are the muscle of our kin. Their brawn allows them to easily lift 10 tons with a single arm when properly trained, capable of moving mountains when they master Light. They are immobile mountains themselves, but they hold the destructive force of an earthquake with both their fists. Their strength is their trademark.

The way to differentiate between us is simple. Hunters wear cloaks, and for every cloak a Hunter wears, it shows what their true nature is or the toughest challenge they've overcome. Warlocks wear long robes, a bond on their arm to show what they believe in, be it the Light, the Darkness, or both. Titans wear large, bulky armor, a mark on their waist showing what team they are a part of or what deeds they have accomplished.

We are, however, then divided into subclasses. The Hunters are known as Gunslingers, Bladedancers, and if they're lucky, Nightstalkers. Warlocks are called Voidwalkers, Sunsingers, and when they channel the storm, Stormcallers. Titans are known as Strikers, Defenders, and once they've earned the blessing from either another Titan themselves or were born with it, Sunbreakers.

Among us is also someone called the Child of Light, a strong Guardian who is born with all the subclasses of his type.

And when a Guardian is born, they are born with one of those subclasses by default, having the power and chance to unlock the other two. The second comes from when their Light becomes stronger, the third only happens when they come in contact with the power they were born without.

The way Guardians are born… well, that's a bit of the darker side… since I hope you're all ready to see this…" He got up from the couch, his hands reaching for the hem of his shirt as he pulled it up and off his torso.

Issei was confused and surprised to see him take his shirt off so willingly in front of others, also a bit jealous since Saka did have some muscle on his body compared to him.

Asia's face turned tomato red at the sight of a man taking his shirt off, her hands rushing to her face and covering her eyes while also trying her best to not look at his torso.

Kuroka smirked slightly, a tinge of pink on her cheeks as she couldn't help but stare at his torso. But, it was when he turned around, their expressions changed to slight horror and shock.

On his back was a long scar running from the back of his left shoulder blade down to his right hip, cutting his back in a diagonal fashion. The scar looked as if it was healed properly, but the pink skin that was used to heal the wound was obvious in comparison to the light shade of pale that was the rest of his skin.

"This is the mark I carry. Guardians are born from the dead, reanimated corpses that are given life again. Every Guardian comes with a scar in their life, the ones they gain in battle healed fully by their Ghosts, but the one that caused their death is forever left on their body as a mark that they died. I am no exception, nor is Keith. He died by a bullet to the heart." He held the shirt over his head before pulling it back down to cover himself again.

"D… do you mean that if I'm to be one of you guys… I have to die?"

"Thankfully, no. There have been plenty of times when a living person has been turned into a Guardian, my mother one of them. You won't have to die to become a Guardian, it's just the most common method.

Sadly, the dead turned Guardian also come with a second cost… we forget who we are. Our minds are wiped clean, only remembering the basic stuff like skills, math, how to move our body and such. We forget ours names, our family, the times we laughed and the times we cried. Everything we've ever known is gone in an instant."

"No way…" He couldn't believe what he heard. The thought of forgetting about his parents… forgetting who he was… it sounded like a nightmare.

Asia couldn't help but feel sad, very sad at the sound of that. Their lives were taken from them and they are given another chance, but they lose all they've ever known.

"If that's the case, why do you sound as if it doesn't matter to you?" Kuroka didn't look like she was fazed at all by what she heard, her expression neutral with a bit of curiosity.

"Well, let's just say I'm the luckiest Guardian ever born. I didn't lose my memory, remembering everything I did in my life…

…truth be told, most of it was me either sleeping or just being lazy. I was a pretty lazy kid until I was eleven. In fact, I do contradict a Hunter belief since Hunters never like going to sleep, but I rather enjoy it.

Now… what else, what else… the classes, subclasses, how we're born… ah! Right! The Ghosts! Nearly forgot."

"You nearly forgot about your partner's kind?" Ghost looked at his Hunter, and if he had a face, there would be an unamused expression.

"Sorry, but you know how I am when it comes to explaining stuff. I always forget something."

"Sit back then. I believe I can do better describing my kind than you." Ghost turned around from him and displayed another hologram, this one showing the Traveler. "We are known as the Ghosts, allies of the Guardians. We are what brings our Guardians back from the dead."

He changed the hologram to show a screen of the Traveler emitting numerous small orbs that all moved to the edges of the screen. "At the moment, the Traveler is badly injured. As a final breath, he created us and gave us a purpose: Find and revive those who can use the Traveler's Light as a weapon. To find our Guardian.

Once we find our Guardians, we bring them back from the dead and bring them to the Last City, arm them with the right weapons and armor, then we head out into the world and begin our fight. Our purpose is to keep our Guardian informed at every given moment, hack into any piece of tech, Human or alien, to extract whatever information we need as well as transmat them from any situation out of our league.

Our numbers are large, but we are limited in the amount of Ghosts that are alive. Guardians are replaceable, all we need to do is find another person who was given the Traveler's blessing to make them our new Guardian, but Ghosts are irreplaceable. Like I said, there is a limit to how many Ghosts are alive right now, and I've been around since the collapse started, searching for my Guardian for more than 5 centuries.

When a Ghost finds their Guardian, their purpose changes to keeping their Guardian alive. Very often, the Ghost and Guardian form a bond between each other, some even becoming inseparable."

…

…

…

"Is… is that it?"

"We don't do too much other than that. We do manage our Guardian's inventory, ensuring their weapons and spare armor is kept safe. We keep the armor systems running, but other than that, we don't do too much other then act as a form of a long-distance communication device."

"Oh… ok…"

"Now that that's out of the way…" Kuroka started as her playful grin made its way on her face, Saka sighing slightly as the two teens in front of him were a bit confused.

"I did say I would talk about it… well, it all started about… 519, nearly 520 years ago-"

"You're 519?!" Issei exclaimed, shocked to hear a young looking man like him being so old.

"No, not really… I'll explain that part in a minute. Like I said, about 520 or so years ago, my mother was pregnant with me. Yada yada, irrelevant stuff and 9 months later, I was born. I was born in Kyoto, or atleast, the Kyoto of the Earth I'm from."

"The Earth you're from?"

"Time travel. Honest, it's really confusing to figure out. Also, don't interrupt me please, I want to finish the explanation since I want to go to sleep."

"R-Right, sorry."

"Like I was saying, I was born into a small family, me, my mother, and my sister. My sister was three years older than me, but in truth, she was my step sister. She came from another father, one my mother was actually glad to leave, saying the only good thing he ever did for her was give her Saiko, my sister. We were a very close family, bathing together, sleeping together, traveling together…"

"You slept and bathed with your sister and mother?"

"Kid, don't interrupt me right now or there will be a bruise on that cheek of yours. A tired Hunter, much less myself, is something even your nightmares can't handle. But yes, I did. Until I was five years old, since it was on my sixth birthday… that image of us came crashing down.

My mother was part of a team of our kind, Guardians. She was a Hunter, one just like me, only her skill with a gun was godlike. She could shoot a grenade out of the air point blank with how fast she could draw her weapon while also killing her target with that very bullet. Her skill with a blade was also very exceptional, but most people kept talking about how she had a form of Light manipulation not even Warlocks had, the kind Keith is.

All they say she did was easily touch her allies and they were healed in seconds. Touch her enemies, they were dead in seconds."

"She… sounds like she was a dangerous woman…"

"She was… until my sixth birthday, like I said, when the image of me, her, and Saiko came crashing down. It was on that day… my mother died."

A gasp came from Asia and Issei, a slight gasp coming from Kuroka who looked at him, a sense of empathy forming within her.

"I… I…"

"Don't worry. Been well over five centuries since I last saw her. All I have of her now is her cloak, her gun, and a picture." He held the picture in front of him, a slight smile forming before leaving at the sight of the picture before he turned it around.

The picture showed a young looking boy who was barely at the age of five with short black hair and a pair of bright, emerald green eyes wearing a pair of black shorts and a white shirt. Beside him was a girl at the age of eight with a matching pair of emerald green eyes, but her hair was actually dark grey as she had it tied into a ponytail on the back of her head who had a purple skirt on with a green shirt.

Both of them were sitting in the lap of a beautiful woman. She had long, flowing black hair with her right bang reaching her chest as the left stopped at her shoulder as well as a pair of emerald green eyes like them. Her figure was on par with Kuroka almost but also of taller height, and with one look at her, anyone could see she loved her children dearly. She was wearing a pair of dark grey pants on with a light green shirt.

Issei's and Asia's mouths widened at the sight of his mother, looking at him and then back at the picture as Kuroka only stared at the picture intently.

 _'Haven't I seen her before?'_

"That… that's your mother?"

"Yeah… I got most of my heritage from her. Hair color, eye color, skill even. It was her who also gave me my Human side and, oddly, my strong sense of sight, hearing, and smell along with my reaction speed, my sense of laziness which is still there, just a bit smaller with my love of sleep. She said it was a Hikari thing, so I just went with it."

"Wait, Human side?" He was confused when he heard that, believing that he was Human this entire time due to how he looked. "Are you half Human, half… something else?"

"I have to agree with the fact that I'm not fully Human. My genetic structure is half Human while the other half is a bit… complicated. Let's just leave it at that."

"But-"

"LEAVE it at that.

"O… ok…"

"Alright… now, the reason why I said I haven't seen her in five centuries is because I died when I was fifteen."

Asia and Issei gasped when they heard that, hearing he died close to their age. Kuroka stared at him, a feeling rising inside of her that she thought she'd never feel.

Pity.

She felt pity for the man she was listening to, trying to find any information she can use to either tease him more or help her with her dream.

"Cut straight through my spine, cutting it in half and killing me in a second. Five centuries later, Ghost found me and brought me back. That was… about four years ago, so right now, bodily and mentally, I'm 19, but since the day I was born, I'm 519. So, anymore questions?"

"You mentioned someone before, when you were describing the Guardians… someone called… the Child of Light?"

"The Child of Light… that is the title belonging to the most powerful Guardian ever born. I've known about him long before even our commanders did, but I didn't say anything about it since he wanted to remain secret for as long as possible.

He was born from Light, the only child ever born from the Traveler. He is a Demigod of Light, his Light stronger than any other Guardian in the world as he is called the Child of Light.

He killed Crota in mere seconds, he's slain a Vex unit who could manipulate time, killed two Hearts of Darkness with his sword and gun, as well as capture then kill a Fallen who tried to unite them all under a single banner before killing Oryx himself and killing a Taken Prince that would have taken the thrown to the Hive.

He is by far the most dangerous Guardian ever created, capable of killing any foe who crosses his path. He hasn't even awakened to his full power, yet, he always finds a way to kill his enemies. But, as of this moment, he hasn't been seen for the past 6 months since he disappeared.

Some say he'll appear again when the Darkness grows stronger than the Traveler, the less experienced ones who believe in love and all that stuff believes he'll show up again when a woman he likes or loves is in danger. Few believe he gave up on Humanity and left while fewer believes he's gone to live another life, one free from the worry of war."

"W-What do you believe he's d-doing?" Asia asked him as he smiled slightly, leaning back into his couch.

"I don't have any trust in him at all."

"W-Why? Isn't he your most powerful fighter?!"

"He may be one of our most powerful Guardians, but I don't really care what happens. If he's the most powerful one of us all, he can handle himself. Otherwise, he doesn't deserve to call himself the Demigod of Light."

"With the way you're speaking, you know something about him, don't you?" Kuroka spoke up again as he looked at her, his smile not fading. "Don't you wanna tell a little kitty? Nya?"

"Little? The only thing 'little' about you is the fact you're shorter than me."

"Oh? So you're admitting I'm big in some areas?" She leaned forwards towards him while using her arms for support as she moved towards him, looking up at him as she crawled over him, her large bosom now pressed against him as she forced him to the cushions.

He tensed slightly in response, his cheeks red while Issei and Asia looked at them, Asia covering her bright red face as Issei was too shocked to look away with his red face.

"I… think it's time I go. Good luck with your girlfriend." Issei said quickly before getting out of his chair and leaving, closing the door behind him.

"Um… uh…" Asia sounded nervous as she remained with the two dark haired adults in front of her, her face still red before she got out from her chair. "You two sh-shouldn't be doing th-that kind of stuff outside of bed o-or before marriage!" She then ran out of the room, most likely heading to the one Saka gave her.

Ghost appeared in front of them both, looking at Saka with his only eye.

"Good luck." Was all he said before floating away.

They were left alone on the couch, her grin not shrinking in the slightest as he was forced to remain where he was.

"Come on… don't you want to have some fun with a cute little kitty cat? Nya?"

 _"_ _Don't you want to have some fun with me?"_

 _'_ _Her…'_ He grabbed his head, the feeling of a bolt going through it when he remembered something he never wanted to remember.

She saw him grab his head, her grin disappearing as it was instead replaced with concern, actual concern.

"Hey… are you okay?"

"…Yeah… just… just peachy…"

She pulled away from him, not wanting to cause him any more pain as a part of her didn't want him to hate her for something she's done. He pulled himself back up, a minor headache in his head that vanished shortly, his hand falling back to his side.

"Hey… can… can you possibly cut back a bit with your teasing?"

"Hm? Why's that? Afraid I'll make you fall in love with me?"

"No… I'm afraid you'll trigger a memory in me that'll make me hurt you."

"Wait… what?"

"…Back home, there was a girl who liked me after I saved her from a group of Hive. Her 'liking' apparently developed into what she called 'love.' That 'love' of hers led her to become a stalker… and she's done many, many things to try and catch my eye. She's a full blown crazy bitch… hell, she killed one of friends once because she thought she was my girlfriend and even tried to kill Keith at one point because said, and I quote, 'You don't need any friends or family, so I'm going to get rid of them for you. All you need is me.'

She is one of few people I can say I hate greatly. Hell, she even got away with it too because there was a lack of evidence apparently. When I finally got to this time, I believed I finally lost her. But, what you said earlier reminded me of her… and I don't even want to remember her name."

She remained silent, listening to what he said as his words stuck in her mind, something she'll have to remember.

"Jeeze… you keep making it harder for me to get you, you know that? If I can't use my teasing, then I don't have anything I can do to get you on my side."

"… How about this? I'll make a deal with you. We'll spend time together, sometimes getting to know each other better. When that's done, we keep spending time with each other. The way this works is to see who falls in love with the other first. If I fall in love with you, then you can have my kids. If you fall in love with me first, then you live with me for as long as our lifespans last since I don't really plan on falling in love."

"Well, neither do I, nya. And if we fall in love together?"

"I don't know… I'll marry you?"

"Hm… sounds fair to me, nya."

"So deal?" He held a hand in front of him, towards her she grabbed his hand and shook it slightly.

"Deal."

"Good. By the way, when did you plan on telling me you had a sister? For all we know, I could've proven your innocence by now so you could be cuddling with her instead of me."

"Oh? So you don't like my cuddles?" She had a hurt expression on her face, obviously faked though as she used her Youjutsu to make the illusion of tears. "I thought you liked my cuddles…"

"When you were Kurai, those cuddles were fluffy and soft, so I welcomed those with open arms. Now that you're… well, you… they feel a bit more different considering it's between two Human sized beings. So can you please keep them to a minimum? Anyways… I'm tired. I'm hitting the hay." He got off the couch and left for his room, but before he left his living room, he turned and looked at her. "And Light help me, if you plan on sleeping in my bed with me again, either do it in your kitten form, or on the other side of the bed where you're not using me as a hug pillow."

He then left her behind. She pouted slightly when she heard what he said.

"You're too warm for me not to… nya." She said before she got up and followed, most likely getting into the bed with him.

* * *

 _Meanwhile…_

* * *

Samantha, covered in bandages, was walking down a rather dark alley in what looked like a kind of black market area. He had his hand to his chin, seeming to be in deep thought.

"I should not be alive… The Black Cat should have killed me as if I were no more than a mere bug compared to her…"

He couldn't help but question his encounter with Kuroka, something about it confusing him.

"She is insane… yet, I was spared. Last I had checked, any Devil who meets a Stray Devil is met with hostility… even if I am a Stray myself… Strays even get into territorial disputes when one has set up a base in their area, yet she has most likely not…

Perhaps her base is that housing with the man… that Stray Devil Hunter who has easily been killing my kind… but even if, he would've have been killed if she were insane, yet… he lives. Was Lord Lucifer wrong to assume she were insane?

This would mean she is not insane… but if that were the case, that would also mean that the rumors about her master we-grg!" He was cut off when something shot into his back, a hand grabbing his spine.

A robed figure stood behind him, their hood covering most of their face while an evil grin could be seen. They leaned over his shoulder, deciding to whisper in his ear.

"You're a bit too close to finding out the secret~. I can't let that happen, now can I?" The figure than pulled back with force, a lot of force, ripping out his spine and throwing it to the side as if it were nothing.

Samantha didn't have long before he fell over backwards due to his lack of backbone, staring up at the sky as the figure crouched down and looked down upon him, a knife coming out of his robe, but this knife also had some sort of liquid on the blade.

"Now be a good little Stray Devil and die~." The figure said as he tapped the handle of the knife, a single droplet of the liquid falling off the blade and into his mouth. The figure got up, knowing his job was done as Samantha was left there to die.

The figure then reached into his robe again, pulling out a picture of what looked like Kuroka, only when she was younger and during the time she was chained.

"Don't worry my sweetheart~. You're going to be saved from that nasty little Hunter shortly~! Afterwards… I'll save that little cutie you call your sister, then we'll all be having the best times of our lives~! I can only imagine how much more beautiful you've become~!" He began giggling before laughing loudly, his laughter drowning out the more silent noises around him as numerous stray animals fled the area.

And hours later, only a body of a Stray Devil with horribly pale skin and green veins with bloodshot eyes remained covered in sweat and blood.

* * *

Dun dun dun!

Was that used properly? I hope so.

Now, what I'm doing here is something I don't think any other DxD author has done before, so I'm going with it as a short, custom arc that will take place the next few chapters before Riser kicks up.

Now, I don't really have much to talk about due to my lack of Destiny playing since after the first day of Iron Banner... I kind of did everything I could without going into the raid and getting Outbreak Prime. The reason is because every Raid team I do get, they keep leaving when we can't kill Aksis the first time!

Seriously! First wipe, and we lost half our team! It has become a pet-peeve of mine when that happens! If you don't plan on staying till the end, don't join!

I won't be calling names or anything, but still... jerks...

Farewell, and let us meet next time.

...still, jerks...


	12. Chapter 12

I know what you're thinking. Another update in the same week, and one as long if not longer than chapter 8?!

Well, it's because that I know what I was planning on doing with this side arc I decided to add. I haven't done too much since the last chapter, so I won't rant too long here.

I have though been meaning to ask you guys a question since I think chapter 9, but I keep forgetting it. I'll just write it down in the next chapter so I don't forget it again.

Reviews:

 **Guest:** You'll find out.

 **Mikey:** No, he's dead. There wasn't a burial since Devils, but yeah... dead.

 **Anonymous:** I know about the quest and I know all the monitors, I just need a team that isn't composed of jerks who leave the first time we wipe.

 **Jebest4781:** Thank you.

 **Deathwatch 45:** I am glad to know there is someone else who shares my pain. Then again, I'm sure there are others like us, but what can we do. That's just the stupidity in every community in the world, real or virtual. And remember, to Rias, Saka is still a potential threat to her now that she also suspects him of holding a (former) Stray Devil and one of the most wanted criminals in the Underworld.

 **BigBossVince** **:** I know that, it's just I use DestinyRaidTracker to find a group, and almost 25% of those people are kids no older than 12. I don't mean to call them out, but I don't want to go deaf when a 10 year old gets an exotic from one of the chests or the rocket. Honestly, I just want those kids to go play the simple games, like racing or minecraft... not the type that are more pointed towards the older audience.

Issei's girls:

Asia: 14

Irina: 5

Koneko: 3

Akeno: 2

Ravel: 2

Xenovia: 0

Le Fay: 0

Well, looks like a certain Nekomata went passed a Devilish bird while a former Fallen Angel/Human hybrid went up one.

Also, I will be making another poll, but this one will be much more cryptic in the reason behind it. The options it will have will be yes/no, and when I finish Riser, the purpose of that poll will be revealed. It will be open for 24 hours before I put Issei's girls back on.

* * *

Chapter 12: A problem arises

* * *

"Going somewhere, nya?"

"Yeah. Unlike you, I have to work."

"Ugh… I'm not going there. Otherwise blondie will try and play dress up with me again…"

"Figured you would say that. I'll tell her Kurai is sick and I sent her to the vet. Go ahead and sleep if you want."

"That is something I'll happily do, nya." She got off from his couch, leaving the room and heading down the hall to most likely go climb into his bed again and sleep.

He groaned slightly as he finished drinking a cup of chocolate milk, putting the cup in the sink to wash it later. Ghost flew over to his Hunter, looking at said Hunter with a sly looking eye.

"Looks like someone is getting along with a woman."

"Is that what it looks like? Hm… thought it looked more like the way roommates would be."

"Technically, you are roommates and bedmates."

"First one, ok. Second one, no. I'm not being someone's 'bedmate' during any point of my life. Sleeping with them, possibly. In a romantic way, chances look pretty slim."

"Whatever you say. It just looks like your actually getting along with her, despite the fact she wants your kids."

"Just look past that part and you see a woman."

"Oh? You see her as a woman, not your cat?"

"Ghost… she was my cat. Despite the fact she was keeping her true self hidden for so long, I still trust her and care for her. The way I felt about Kurai moved over to her since they are the same person… just different sizes… and species… still the same person."

"You may say that, but I believe it's getting close to matchmaking time between two certain dark haired adults."

"Oh please… you and I both know she is out of my league."

"In that case, what about Gabriel? You've already gotten a feel for her chest twice."

"One, those were accidents. Two, she is even further out of my league since, and I will be honest, she is very beautiful. Three, she's my boss. And four, I'm sure there are plenty of men who try to ask for her hand in marriage where one will succeed."

"…Ok, I can partially see your point on that one."

"Yeah… now come on. I've got to get to work on time." He left his kitchen and went for the door, Ghost changing his clothing to a better option for public other than his sleepwear as he left after Ghost teleported to his mind.

* * *

 _3 weeks ago…_

* * *

 _Keith's hand twitched slightly as he groaned, slowly pushing himself up as his eyes opened to look at the area around him through his H.U.D._

 _"_ _Oh… my back…" He got up to his feet, massaging his sore back._

 _Apparently, an idiotic Titan who was jealous of him throwing him into a Vex gate would hurt his back when he got to the other side._

 _"_ _I'll be feeling this for a while… Arashi, are you there?"_

 _…_

 _…_

 _…_

 _"_ _Arashi?" Keith looked around the… forest he was in?_

 _Last he checked, Venus did not have such green and healthy looking trees since the Collapse._

 _Perhaps he was back on Earth in a place where the plant life was still healthy. He got up to his feet, his robe hanging around his form underneath. He decided to try looking over what parts of the tree lines he could, hoping to spot a mountain or a landmark he could use to find out what country he was in._

 _With the lack of snow, he knew he was definitely not in Russia. Along with the healthy looking trees around him, he was most definitely not near a desert._

 _Perhaps he was in the remains of America? Or even Europe?_

 _He hasn't heard any forms of screaming from Hive or the sound of Fallen activity, so America and Europe were then crossed out. Last he heard, Japan had been very silent of any activity, so maybe he was there._

 _"_ _I suppose investigating the area will have to do…" He chose a random direction, then letting his feet take him wherever they wanted to go._

 _The forest was silent, as expected due to the moon above him that was to be covered shortly by clouds. He knew that he could be in hostile territory, the enemy waiting to make their move on a Guardian whose Ghost is currently missing, but walking through the forest had a… serene feeling to him, one he hasn't felt since…_

 _Since…_

 _He couldn't remember. He believed it was one time his family had gone on vacation in Europe when he was younger, but almost all the memory was either blurry or purely forgotten._

 _Amnesia was such a pain for him since he became a Warlock, even forgetting the face of his own brother, who was his twin and shared the exact same face!_

 _He couldn't remember much of his time before he became a Guardian, Saka explaining a few things now and then as he felt some memories return. Otherwise, many things of his past were still nothing more than a blur to him._

 _But still, a simple walk in the forest felt… relaxing for the Warlock, something he hadn't experienced since he was trained under the tutelage of Ikora Rey, but even still, he did not come out unharmed._

 _His legs kept moving at their own pace, eventually his mind no longer registering the fact he was walking before his movement went to a bare instinct, his mind now welcoming the short peace he may be having._

 _If this is what it will be like when the Darkness is defeated, it just motivates him to fight harder now so he can do this every day._

 _But now his mind couldn't help but wonder how this feeling would feel like if he shared it with someone else, someone he could care for._

 _But, alas, for every 5 male Guardians, there was only 1 female. And of those few females, about 85% of them ended up being Hunters, the kind who only accepts others when they have impressed another Hunter with their own skill with a weapon or combat._

 _But now his mind began wandering about, decided to question why a Hunter thinks like that. But more importantly, how does a Hunter think?_

 _Do Hunters think about their next kill? The next challenge they will overcome? Perhaps they think about the places they have yet to discover, ripe with ancient Golden Age technology that can be saved and challenging foes they can defeat. Maybe all they thought about was when they would get some rest._

 _…_ _No, that contradicted the way Hunters live their lives. Their least favorite thing to do is sleep, his own cousin and exception to that belief._

 _But still, what was the mind of a Hunter like? Was it an open prairie, full of the victims of the Hunter? Or was it a prison like the mind of a Warlock, forever locked inside as they constantly attempt escape as if it was a mere challenge between them and freedom._

 _"_ _KYA!"_

 _A scream that sounded close took him out of his musing, his head turning towards the source._

 _"_ _So much for a peaceful walk…" He reached behind him, only to grab nothing but air. He then remembered no Arashi mean't no sudden weaponry, so he had to make do with the emergency gun he keeps in his robe for situations like this._

 _Opening his robe, he pulled out a handgun with the symbol of the Iron Banner._

 _The Ironwreath was one of his most trusted weapons, never having failed him before as he put a lot of faith into the small sidearm._

 _"_ _Seems like it's just you and I, dear friend." He held his sidearm with both hands, knowing every aspect of his weapon as if it was the back of his hand. He ran towards the source of the scream, his legs moving more at the pace of jogging so he does not wear himself out when he arrives._

 _As he moved, his mind had somehow recorded the sound of the scream, inspecting it as if it was some sort of clue to a mystery._

 _'_ _The scream sounded female, young. Age from between 15 to possibly 20. Distance approximately 37 clicks away. Scream was also made as an alarmed sound, something obviously scaring or terrifying the source.'_

 _His legs kept him going before he saw two figures ahead, one seeming just larger than the other as well as keeping the smaller figure restrained with what may have been their hands as well as the smaller one not moving._

 _He ran around them, finding a tree with the proper thickness for him to hide behind as he listened on the two._

 _"_ _Don't worry…" The sound of what may have been a pocket knife being flipped open came to his ears as he leaned more to the side, his eyes peeking around the edge. "I'll make it nice and quick…"_

 _Keith spent little to no time to spin around the tree, take aim with his weapon and pull the trigger. The bullet shot out from the barrel, flying towards the taller figure as it had hit the knife in their hand, knocking it out easily._

 _"_ _What the-?!"_

 _"_ _Freeze!" Keith held his gun with one arm, the sights aimed at the figure's head._

 _The taller figure was a man who seemed to be wearing what looked like the stereotypical asshole wear, dark grey hair and white eyes._

 _"_ _Piss off you damn Angel!" The man rose his arm forward, a white magic circle appearing in front of him before it sent out a wave of frozen air towards Keith, the Warlock jumping back behind his tree as the freezing wind froze everything in its path until it hit a tree and covered the roots in ice._

 _'_ _What in the world?! Ice or any forms of cryogenic property have not been manifested in Light before! Much less the Darkness!'_

 _'_ _System restarted. Reactivating… done. So, what have I- why is there a trail of frozen grass and a partially frozen tree?'_

 _'_ _Arashi! Perfect! I need the right weapon for this situation.'_

 _'_ _O…k? What do you need?'_

 _'_ _Something other than Ironwreath, preferably a primary, burst.'_

 _'_ _Got it.'_

 _He put the Ironwreath back in his robe, a pulse rifle with the Iron Banner symbol appearing in his hand as the other reached to his side, grabbing onto a magazine and placing it into the rifle before pulling back the hammer, fully loading his Nirwen's mercy as his H.U.D. was connected to the rifle, reading and telling him how much ammo is in the gun along with the spare ammo._

 _He came back out from his tree, his eyes locking onto the man as he pulled the stock of the gun to his shoulder, disengaging the safety as he looked through the scope, his sights on the shoulder of the man as he pulled the trigger, his rifle releasing a burst of three bullets that shot out of the barrel and into the man's shoulder, piercing through his skin and muscle while also digging into his bone._

 _He let out a groan of pain from the bullets entering the body, his hand shooting to his shoulder to cover the new wounds as he turned and looked at Keith, anger in his eyes._

 _"_ _Why you little-"_

 _Keith didn't give the man the chance to finish as he fired again, the burst rifle shooting again while he pulled the trigger again right after the second burst, repeating each burst as he shot the man with the rest of the ammo he had in the magazine._

 _He pressed the magazine ejection button, the clip shooting out as he took out another clip, reloading his rifle._

 _The man had new wounds across his body, but he snapped his fingers, bloody ice forming in his wounds to block the blood from leaving. His expression was very, very angry as he created two more magic circles, both releasing frozen air that he sent into the air, the clouds above grew larger and darker, white lightning coursing through it._

 _"_ _Let's see how you like the cold, damn Angel…" The man said as heavy snow began falling from above, freezing air following shortly._

 _"_ _This… is not good." He said to himself as he raised his gun again, pulling the trigger only to find out ice had formed behind his trigger and along his gun already, the hammer frozen solid too. 'Oh dear…'_

 _The man had white, wisp like substances forming around his arm and combining in his palm, the energy forming into an icicle that he three like a dart at Keith._

 _He looked up to see the icicle, ducking under it as he saw the snow around him had already reached a foot high, his movement most likely going to be slowed._

 _'_ _What in the world are we dealing with?! Power over ice and snow?! Humans don't have access to that kind of Light, nor do the Awoken unless the Queen has been keeping secrets.'_

 _Keith didn't pay attention to what Arashi was saying, his mind more focused on the man who was controlling the cold._

 _A few pieces of ice formed on his robe, his boots and gloves also having ice on their cloth while his helmet emitted a soft source of heat that prevented the cold from taking his head._

 _Armor skinned from the Hive often had the strange passive ability to always emit heat, most likely due to the torture Hive would always put their own kind through to make their forces stronger._

 _The armor he's obtained from the Trials left behind by Osiris before his disappearance was always known to be oddly resilient to many, many things, almost as strong as the armor Variks sold to Guardians he's taken from the Fallen and modified for the use of Guardians or the armor Shaxx or the Vanguard gave to Guardians for exceptional skill in their respective fields._

 _His arsenal was now restricted due to the fact his weapons could be frozen, an idea coming to his mind._

 _'_ _Arashi, fusion rifle.'_

 _'_ _Roger.'_

 _Nirwen's Mercy disappeared from his hands and was instead replaced by an Omolon gun with the Warlock symbol on the side._

 _He took a new clip out, inserting it into his secondary before pressing the fusion charge button back in._

 _He changed the power in his hands to the power of Solar Light inside him, his Sunsinger powers altering Susanoo to change it from Void to Solar._

 _"_ _What the hell kind of gun is tha-"_

 _The man was cut off when Keith pulled and held down the trigger, the fusion coil inside spinning with Solar Light charging up before releasing its charged energy, the short burst of fusion energy coming out from the barrel._

 _The energy lost some of its charge before making contact with the man, scorching the left side of his chest._

 _"_ _Holy! Hot! Hot! Hot!" He jumped up and down, looking as if he was panicking due to the energy hitting him and burning the side of his chest. He jumped forwards, faceplanting in the snow to try and cool the burn._

 _…_ _Only for him to roll in it with a more pained expression._

 _"_ _Crap this hurts! Why isn't the cold helping?!"_

 _'…'_

 _'…'_

 _'…'_

 _'_ _He's… not that smart…'_

 _'_ _Not at all…'_

 _'_ _Should I just defeat him before he can do anything else?'_

 _'_ _Go ahead… better stop him and find out how he is manipulating the cold like so.'_

 _"_ _Well, I do suppose I must end this here…" He opened the palm of his hand, Void Light gathering in his palm before he ran forward and jumped into the air, pulling his arm back with the Void Light before shooting it forward in the form of a non-lethal Nova Bomb, despite how many believe Nova Bomb is always lethal no matter how much Void Light is put in._

 _The man saw the large orb of Void Light coming for him, his face turning pale as he only said one thing before it made impact._

 _"_ _Oh shit…"_

 _The Nova Bomb made impact with the ground, exploding in a large blast that sent the man airborne actually, sending him a fair distance away as all Keith could see of him now was the flailing body of a man, along with what looked like the tiniest sparkle of something coming from him._

 _He gave it no thought as he instead just decided to go with it, supposing he accomplished his goal of helping whoever the smaller figure was. He landed on the ground, looking up at the snow that still kept going._

 _He wondered why it was still occurring, believing the man was causing by his presence after starting said snow, but now he was wondering why it still snowed._

 _Again, he paid it no mind as he turned towards the smaller figure the man was restraining, but just as he was about to walk towards her, his head suddenly felt a large, blunt force coming in contact with him, forcing him to the ground as everything went black._

* * *

 _Scene Transition…_

* * *

 _He groaned as his mind began registering the pain still on his head, but it had diminished to a weaker pain. He pulled himself up, his head still hurting as he grabbed it, now also finding out his helmet was no longer covering him, nor was the rest of his armor._

 _"_ _Oh… you're awake." A voice spoke to him as he turned towards the source._

 _A woman most likely older than him with long, black hair and a pair of violet eyes. Her figure was very buxom, his mind not believing how developed this woman was as she wore a purple shirt that exposed her stomach and a pair of black jeans._

 _"_ _Where…"_

 _"_ _Don't worry. My daughter said you were the one who saved her from that Yuki-Otoko."_

 _"…_ _Pardon?"_

 _"_ _The guy who can manipulate the cold. Their kind isn't too common either since the Yuki-Onna usually outnumbers them and has made a bigger name for themselves. You should be lucky too… my daughter doesn't interact with men very often… so imagine my surprise when she carried you back to my house."_

 _"_ _Oh… well, I must thank your daughter for doing so. I am sure I would have most likely developed frostbite if I was left out there for too long."_

 _She smirked at the young Warlock in front of her, her head turning a bit as she face the door. "Yuuma, come here sweetie."_

 _The door to the room opened, revealing a younger woman about Keith's age who looked to be a younger version of the woman in front of him. She had long black hair and a pair of matching violet eyes, her own rather attractive figure that didn't seem as large as who was most likely her mother as she was wearing a black dress._

 _"_ _Um… um… He… hello…" 'Yuuma' sounded shy to be around Keith, her mother moving behind her and wrapping her arms around her daughter._

 _"_ _This is Yuuma Amano, my daughter. For some reason, she decided to have people call herself 'Raynare.' Honestly, she came up with such a horrible name… even after her father and I spent so long coming up with one that worked perfectly for her."_

 _"_ _B-But mom! Yuuma d-doesn't sound like i-it fits for us!"_

 _"_ _Are you arguing with your mother?" She had her eyes closed, a rather dark looking aura surrounding her as Keith was confused by this strange phenomenon while Yuuma only squeaked in fear, rapidly shaking her head._

 _"_ _N-No ma'am!"_

 _"_ _Good girl. Now… I want to make a request to you, little Angel."_

 _"'_ _Little Angel?' That… is a name I'd rather not have."_

 _"_ _You can say what you want, but I plan on calling you that. You actually remind me of my husband, just you look younger than him and he hasn't shaved for months. But, like I was saying, I want you to guard my daughter for the time I'm not there. She's a very shy girl, so I'm also hoping a new face like yours can break her out of that shell of hers."_

 _"_ _M-Mom!"_

 _"_ _Quiet dear. This is for the better."_

 _"_ _You're asking a man whose only thing he's done for you is saving your daughter to be with her so she is no longer shy?"_

 _"_ _Of course. And if you do a good job, I just might let you marry my dear Yuuma."_

 _"_ _Mom! Please stop! You're embarrassing me in front of a man!" She dropped to ground, her hands covering her bright red face as her mother only laughed lightly._

 _"_ _Oh Yuuma… you're so cute when you're flustered." She turned her attention back to Keith, who started to make his way out of the bed he was in. "Well? Do we have a deal?"_

 _"…_ _Can you tell me where I am at the moment and who you are? Other than going by what you've said so far, calling you Mrs. Amano will get a bit tedious in the future."_

 _"_ _Oh, you're smart like my husband too. It's a shame that man spends more time with my old man than he does with his own flesh and blood since she grew up to become a beautiful young woman."_

 _"_ _But mom! What if… what if he's a pervert who only saved me to touch my body?"_

 _"_ _Well, if he's a pervert like your grandfather, I'll just have to kill him."_

 _Keith shivered when he heard what she said. Despite how she looked unarmed and how she didn't have any muscle on her arms or anywhere else on her body that seemed to match her beauty perfectly, what she said sounded more as if it was a fact and not a threat._

 _Something he only hears from a certain Hunter when a brainless Guardian tries to attack him without reason._

 _"_ _Well… I am… glad to inform you that I am no pervert. I am what you call a bookworm. In fact, I spend more of my time reading books than I do even talking with women."_

 _"_ _Oh really now?" The mother got up and suddenly disappeared, a black feather falling in her place as she reappeared right in front of Keith, a spear of light in her hand with a total of ten wings with black feathers. "And how do I know you're not lying?"_

 _'_ _Oh… dear… Light…'_

 _'_ _Arashi… on a scale of one to ten, and pardon my French… but how fucked am I?'_

 _'_ _Solid thirteen.'_

 _'_ _Oh dear…'_

 _Keith gulped slightly, the spear no more than an inch away from his throat as a drop of sweat slowly traveled down his face, passing his chin and hanging their briefly before its weight grew too heavy for itself, falling from his chin and landing on the spear to only disappear with a quick puff of steam where it made contact._

 _'…_ _make that fourteen.'_

 _"_ _Hm… I guess I should see if you really aren't a pervert before I kill you… Oh, I got it. Why not say the first compliment that comes to your mind about me?"_

 _"_ _The… first one?"_

 _"_ _Yep."_

 _"_ _W-Well… If I must be honest… you… have a pair of stunning eyes… as does your daughter…"_

 _"…"_

 _"…"_

 _"_ _Hm… would you look at that. You screwed up." She then pulled her arm back, spear still in hand as she then thrusted it forward towards Keith, his mind telling him to raise his arms to protect himself for his impending death._

 _He waited…_

 _And waited…_

 _And waited…_

 _And waited, but he didn't feel anything pierce him in any form._

 _Hesitantly, he opened his eyes, the sight of the spear no less than a millimeter away from his iris was the first thing he saw._

 _"_ _Hehe… the look you had when you thought I was seriously going to kill you." She pulled the spear away from his eye before it could start damaging his sight to the point he was near blind, the spear disappearing shortly after as she retracted her wings. "But, I will thank you for such a nice compliment. Not a lot of men compliment a lady about her eyes."_

 _"_ _Um… uh… ah…" Keith was now a sputtering mess, his mind thrown into dismay from all that he just say._

 _"_ _Hm… it seems as if I may have broken him. Yuuma, be a dear and when he fixes himself, take him with you on that assignment of yours to watch over that Hyoudou boy, will you?"_

 _"_ _But mo-" Yuuma was cut off when the dark aura began forming around her mother again, making her yelp in fear before rethinking her words. "… Yes ma'am."_

 _"_ _Thank you. Now, I have to go find your father before he blows himself up again helping your grandfather make those Sacred Gear replicas. And remember, I'm only a call away when you need me."_

 _"_ _Thank you mom…"_

 _"_ _That's my girl… and I guess tell him my name so he won't refer to me as Mrs. Amano. I'm only 342, I do not want to be called Mrs. until I pass my thousandth birthday or unless it involves a job."_

* * *

 _Scene Transition…_

* * *

Keith groaned slightly as he had to admit his head was killing him. Along with a bit of his torso, but it was mainly his head.

He slowly pulled himself up, his hand on his head to try and soothe the pain, the covers on him falling off.

He opened his eyes, his purple eyes recognizing the place he was in as the room Saka had given him.

His head still hurt like hell in his opinion, rubbing it slightly as he wanted to rid himself of the pain quickly.

"Are you… okay?" A familiar voice spoke to him, but he didn't register it fully in his mind as he waved his hand in their direction.

"Yes… just… just fine. I simply have a horrible headache…"

"Do you… want some ice?"

"While that'd be appreciated, I believe Ice will have little to no effect with my headache…" He kept talking with the person before his mind suddenly realized just whose voice it was he was talking to. Turning to his side, he was met with a pair of violet eyes that were brighter than his own purple.

Raynare, or her real name, Yuuma, sat in a chair beside the bed he rested in.

Relief filled his body, happy to see her awake again as he leaned towards her, his arms moving around her and hugging her, also surprising the young Fallen Angel.

"E-Eh?"

"I am glad to see you awake again… I had thought what Dohnaseek had done to you would leave you in a coma for weeks, months even."

"I… I woke up when my wings began growing back…"

"Oh, that's a relief. I had thought- wait… say that again?"

"My… wings are growing back?"

"I'm sorry, but what?"

From her back, a pair of black, feathery wings came out, just like the pair she had before, only they were smaller, nowhere near as large as the two she lost. They were about the size of a Human forearm at the moment.

"What in the name of Light? How in the world are you growing your wings back?!"

"It's a trait from my dad… you only met mom when you saved me from the Yuki-Otoko, but dad… he's actually Human. I'm… a cross breed between a Human and Fallen Angel, so the chance of me being born with a Sacred Gear rose up. And to their surprise, I was born with one. It's… supposedly Twilight Healing's counterpart, Evening Ease. It only heals the host instead of those nearby like Asia's."

"I suppose bodily regeneration is also one of the powers?" She nodded. "I see… and you said your father is Human?"

"Yes. He works with grandpa most of the time when he isn't home, but he's also kind of resilient to explosives now because of that. He also says his plan is to make something called an interdimensional-time-gateway, like the thing he said he found in his world."

"Wait, so your father is from another world?!"

"I… think? I'm not too sure, he doesn't talk about it too much. All I remember is that he did say he was alive at one point, but then died, came back, went to another world after his death, finding the gateway before coming here and meeting mom after a few decades. After that, they saw a few years later I was born. He mentions he had a friend once who died and went to some alternate plane of existence, but he doesn't talk about his friend too much."

"I… find it very impossible to not believe your story now. It is hard to believe your mother, Airis, had married such a man and not view him as some creature."

"Mom says she looked passed that part of dad and saw him as a handsome and smart man with a hidden caring side he hasn't shown anyone before."

"I see… and just what is your father's name? I do not remember ever hearing it before."

"Mom never calls dad by his name. She calls him 'sweetie' or 'honey,' but never his name. Grandpa doesn't call him by his name either, only calling him 'sonny' despite how old dad says he is."

"How old is your father?"

"He says somewhere along 290, I think?"

"I see- grg…" Keith groaned in pain as he grabbed the side of his head, his headache hurting worse now. Raynare got out of her chair, looking at his head in concern.

"Are you alright?"

"Peachy… I forgot about my headache, that's all… I believe it is time for me to sleep again." He leaned back into the bed, pulling the blanket over him as he rested his head against the pillow.

"Do you… want some help in getting rid of the headache?"

"That'd be appreciated…"

Raynare nodded as the lifted covers up crawling into the bed with him as he looked at her confusingly.

"Why are you getting in the bed?"

"Well… dad says when mom hurts, he sleeps with her by being beside her, and mom says his presence nearby helps her."

"I… I see…" Keith decided to try his best in withholding any embarrassment he may develop with her in the bed with him, but a part of his mind was glad she would be so close to him. "C-Continue…"

She nodded again, crawling into the bed as she got close to Keith, very close but not to the point they were touching. She moved a little closer to him, Keith actually rolling over as his back faced her, Raynare deciding to do the same as their backs faced each other.

Without warning, a strange feeling overcame Keith, one that felt as if it brought relief and peace to him, his mind and body relaxing when it touched him.

 _'_ _Dear Light… this feels… so… nice…'_

"Hey Keith… is… is it working?"

"Yes, actually… I feel… my mind more clear, and my body more relaxed than if I was by myself."

"I… I'm glad…" She whispered that part silently, confusing him slightly before he decided to ignore it. He was unaware of the light smile she had right now. "Keith… do… do you think I can sleep with you like this… for a while? I mean, until my wings grow back fully that is."

"I… If you wish. I have no objection."

"T-Thank you…"

Eventually, they both drifted off into sleep, both unaware a certain construct of Light was watching them while also recording.

"Oh, I am so sending this to Saka's Ghost."

* * *

 _Scene Transition…_

* * *

'Hey, we got a video from Arashi.' Ghost informed his Hunter as said Hunter was just about to walk out of the changing room.

"Really? Send it to my phone, I'll watch it later. Also… do you have the feeling… something bad might happen today?"

'With your luck, everyday can be a bad day.'

"I know that, I just mean something… worse than usual."

'…Well, I'm glad I'm not the only one.'

* * *

 _Scene Transition…_

* * *

She stood in front of Saka's house, her eyes directly on the home of the Hunter.

She wondered why.

Why was SHE of all people here? She said she cared about her, that she loved her. But, instead of either taking her with her or maybe even coming back to save her, she left her with her Senjutsu master.

She didn't complain about who she left her with, rather fond of the older woman who took care of her when Kuroka was away and acting as her King's Bishop. She really liked the woman, but during that time, she always wanted her sister.

But, what she got instead, was her sister being called insane and instantly labeled a criminal because she killed her master. She was labeled an SS-rank criminal all because she was a Nekoshou who had superb control over Senjutsu and Youjutsu.

She hated her sister for what she's done to her, leaving her to die for what she's done and at the hands of Devil who feared another case like her sister's.

She thought she lost her after all those years she's served under Rias, believing she got away from her sister after condemning her own birth powers.

But, she just had to come back when Rias was looking into a potential second Knight.

She couldn't help herself but stand in front of the house that she most likely took residence in. Even if she hasn't seen her sister in years, she knew how she thought and worked.

She must've seduced Saka into letting her live in his home, bending him to follow every word she said. She knew how attractive to the male gender her sister was, so the chances of that were likely.

Her thinking stopped when she heard the sound of humming, turning towards the source to see a man who was wearing a dark robe that covered his body, his blood red hair obvious while his face was hidden behind a fox mask as he seemed to be kicking the air with his legs while sitting on a wall.

The man looked down at her, herself not even planning on saying anything.

"Oh hello~. I see you're watching this house too. I'm here because I want to watch for someone I've been after for a few years." He sounded as if he didn't really have much of a care for the world at all, only planning on watching the Hikari residence. "Is there a reason why you're here?"

"…Someone I'd rather never see again…"

"Oh… that doesn't sound nice at all… What did this person do to you that makes you say that?"

She didn't even want to give the man the pleasure of her voice anymore as he actually sounded more annoying than he looked. The robe and mask just made him look like the cliché kidnapper almost, deciding it be best to leave before she'd have to break an arm.

"And where are you going?"

"…Somewhere you don't need to know…"

"Aww… do you have to be that way…

…Shirone."

She stopped her movement when she heard that name. Her name before she met Rias.

"Who-" She started a sentence as she turned around, only for the man to appear right behind her, his hand covering her mouth and only allowing muffled noises to come out as he held her by her chest, his hand actually trying to fondle her.

"Hm… I would've thought that over the years since I last saw you, you'd have grown a pair by now… oh well~. I suppose your sister's will have to do~. I bet those beauties of hers are softer than they look too~."

She was trying to break free from his hold, his hand holding her mouth shut and preventing her from biting his hand to scream while his other seemed to hold onto her chest with intense strength. Despite being a Rook, her own strength wasn't even fazing the man at all, as if he was stronger than her.

"Ooh~… you like to struggle! I like that in a girl~." The man easily picked her up, a blood red magic circle appearing behind him as he began walking towards it.

She saw the magic circle, her mind panicking as she realized she was being kidnapped and taken to who knows where.

In a state of panic, she released the seal she placed on herself, her essence now easily detectable by any supernatural being.

The man paid her no mind as he took her through the magic circle, unaware that what she did gained some eyes. Including a pair he did not anticipate.

* * *

 _Meanwhile…_

* * *

Her feline ears perked up when she felt the sudden release of Devil essence nearby, very nearby even. Almost as if it was right outside.

But, there was something else. Something else about this essence that felt so familiar to her, the same essence she's been looking for the last few years. She recognized this essence immediately, her eyes shooting open as a single word came out of her mouth.

"Shirone…"

She shot out of the bed, grabbing her black kimono and putting it on over her white one while using magic to have her obi tied around her waist before making a magic circle of her own, intent on finding her sister.

* * *

 _Meanwhile…_

* * *

'Hey, sudden energy spike in Kuoh. Feels familiar to the Devils.'

"Really now?" He looked down at his hand as he pulled out his phone. "Well, my shift won't be ending anytime soon, so I can't make it in time before it disappears."

"Hey, Saka." Gabriel asked the Hunter as he turned to face his manager, his eyebrow raised to why she was calling him.

"Yes?"

"I want you to take the rest of the day off. You helped a lot back on rush day, so you can head home now if you want."

'Huh… convenient.'

"Sweet, thanks. I'll be back tomorrow then, and maybe Kurai will be feeling like herself again."

"Oh, while you're talking about her, please give this to her." Gabriel pulled out a small black fox outfit with a bit of white fur in the chest area, the size of a kitten. "I made it for her over the weekend."

"Oh… alright, I'll give it to her when she's feeling up to it. Ciao."

* * *

 _Meanwhile…_

* * *

"Rias…" Akeno started as her King nodded.

"Yes, I felt it too. Koneko is in trouble, otherwise, she wouldn't have released this much of her essence. I hope you can find it?"

"I can, a bit out of town in a forest actually. Right outside of the possibility Humans hearing what may happen."

"I guess this means we won't be having such a quiet day after all." Kiba got up from his spot on the couch, dropping the wipe he was using to clean his sword as he placed it in a sheathe on his waist.

"Yes. Now, both of you be prepared. We don't know who or what we're facing." They all gathered into the center of the room, a red magic circle appearing under them before teleporting them away.

* * *

 _Scene Transition…_

* * *

The forest was such a quiet and tranquil place, barely anything ever wrong with its environment.

That was not the case with a certain white haired girl who was lying against a tree, her mind asleep but waking. Her eyes slowly opened, recognizing the place she was in as the forest.

She tried to get up, but she was instead restrained by a chain holding her legs that was tied around one of the roots nearby along with her arms. She tried to pull her arms apart, but despite her impressive strength, the chains didn't even crack.

She was confused and worried by this, her arms pulling apart again to try and break them, but they still didn't crack, not even the rust on each link scrapping off.

She tried to do it one more time, this time with the chain around her legs. Like before, they didn't even show the closest sign to breaking, still firmly holding her where she was.

Suddenly, she felt the presence of someone coming close, turning towards the source as she hoped whoever it was could break her out. She couldn't see the person coming, but she could feel them easily, and she knew the presence well, but also one she feared.

' _No… not her!'_

"Hi Shirone!" A certain voice spoke to her as she revealed herself in front of Koneko, a smile on her face as if she was glad to see her. "Did you miss me?"

Kuroka looked at her younger sister, her smile not fading anytime soon as she looked at the younger girl in front of her. Her hazel orbs looked down, seeing the restraints on her little sister that were all tied around the root.

"Hm? Shirone, I thought you were better than that… being restrained by simple little chains…" She replaced her smile with a sly grin. She placed her hand against the root, the life inside it disappearing in seconds as it withered to no more than the size of a simple twig.

She then stepped on the dead root, breaking it in two and releasing the chains that were wrapped around it. She bent down and grabbed a chain, lifting it up as her body felt weaker the moment she held it.

 _'_ _Power restricting chains? …No, that man is dead. He isn't anywhere near us.'_

She pulled the chain from the ground, releasing Koneko from their hold as said girl got to her feet and stepped away from the older woman. She looked at her sister, her eyes wary of the dark haired woman.

"…Why are you here?"

"Hm? Isn't it only natural a big sister would be concerned about her little sister, nya?"

"No… no! No! No! Go away!"

"Shirone…" Her grin had vanished from her face and was replaced by a frown, but her ears perked up as did her tails when she realized something. She jumped to the side, her feline agility giving her incredible jumping distance as she dodged a blast of thunder that came from above.

"It's good to see you're safe Koneko." Rias said as she walked to her Rook, Kiba and Akeno beside her. She turned her gaze from Koneko to Kuroka, her eyes narrowing slightly at the sight of the older woman. "Well, isn't this a surprise. The Black Cat herself in all her glory."

Kuroka's frown dropped lower than before, her eyes staring at the Gremory heiress in front of her.

"I should have known it was you who took her. Still claiming you love her like the 'sister' you aren't."

Her frown went even further, now annoyed by the heiress in front of her as she kept her eyes on Koneko, the younger girl looking at her as she entered a fighting stance.

"Shir-"

"Don't call me that! I… I'm no longer Shirone." Koneko yelled to her, making Kuroka flinch when she heard her voice raised so high. "I hate you… You… you're not my sister!"

Her body stiffened when she heard that, pain shooting through her chest, specifically around the left side, when her mind heard what she said.

"Shi…rone?" She asked, not able to comprehend what she just heard.

However, a new noise caught everyone's attention, all of them turning to the source.

The man clapped his hands, his face still hidden behind his mask as his body was under his robe.

"Wow… I had no clue little Shirone had it in her to say she hated her own sister. Or is that ex-sister now?"

"Y-You!" Koneko stuttered, changing her stance to face towards the man as Rias looked at her with a curious look.

"You know him, Koneko?"

"Yes… he's the one who took me here…"

"I see." Rias turned her attention to the man, her eyes annoyed by his appearance as she crossed her arms, keeping a calm looking expression. "I hope you have an explanation as to why you kidnapped my Rook."

"Well of course I do, my dear wench~. I needed the former Nekomata for two reasons. One was to draw Kuroka out of that house belonging to the Hunter, and the other was so I could kill you~!"

"Pardon?"

"You head me right. I'm here to kill you~." The man said as he reached into his robe, pulling out a knife that had a strange, green liquid on the blade as he threw it towards Rias.

""Rias!"" Kiba and Akeno yelled in worry for their King, the knife flying faster than they could try to intercept as Rias was too slow to realize the knife was coming for her and for her to try and create a magic circle for defense.

Since she was nearby, Koneko jumped in front of Rias, intent on using her enhanced strength as a Rook to take the knife for her King. She saw the knife coming for her, but her vision of said object was suddenly obstructed by a lot of black.

Kuroka jumped in front of her, using herself to protect her as the knife cut through the fabric of her kimono and into her stomach, but it had somehow missed her organs.

The masked man's body expression changed to one of horror, snapping his hands as the knife then disappeared while in her stomach, some of the liquid that was on the blade now gone as a drop of it came out from Kuroka's stomach.

Said Nekoshou looked rather pissed at the man, taking a step forward only for her body to suddenly become weak. She tried to take another step forward, only to then fall to the ground as her legs lost the strength to hold her.

"My dear! You weren't supposed to take the dagger! It wasn't mean't for you, but for the bitch who took away your sister!" The man seemed to complain about her actions, jumping up and down as if he was a child who did not have things go his way. His jumping ceased when he seemed to realize something. "Wait… I can still use this. I can bring you back without having to worry about that Hunt-"

He was cut off when a blur the size of a man came close to him, forcing him to jump back and avoid having his head cut off.

He looked at where he once stood, a certain Hunter having come back earlier than he had anticipated with blade in hand and a very angry expression.

…and weren't his eyes supposed to be green, not blue?

Saka didn't give him any time to think about his sudden new eye color before he lept forward to cut him in half, only for him to jump away again.

He clicked his tongue, annoyed by the appearance of Saka before he knew he had little to no chance of victory.

"I'll be back for my dearest sweetie, you bastard!" He said before jumping back again into a blood red magic circle, teleporting away before Saka could take a gun out and shoot.

As if without thinking, he turned around and ran towards Kuroka, getting down on his knees beside her as he threw his blade to the side while Ghost put it away and picked her up with his arms, inspecting her wound.

It looked to be a rather light cut, but whatever the green liquid was around the wound, he did not like. Some of her veins around the cut that were visible through the hole had also turned a matching shade of green. Kuroka looked at him, a bit confused by his different eye color before she winced in pain, holding her stomach.

Saka saw her pained expression, anger building up.

"Son of a bitch…" He turned to the side and towards Rias, his gaze still angry. "I can tell she's been poisoned, but I'm not familiar with the kind of poison. What is it?"

"…"

"…I said what is it?!" He barked at her, causing the heiress to shrink in fear.

She didn't know what, but now she believed Sona's words from before. Something about him, there was something about the way he held himself too, that scared her. Something about him that scared her greatly.

"She's been poisoned with Hydra venom."

"What's the antidote?"

"Why are you asking? She's a Stray Devil, death is inevitable for her."

 _'_ _You little…'_ He left her to sit straight up as he got up to his feet, walking- no, stomping towards her before grabbing her by the collar and somehow lifting her up with a single arm despite how small his muscles looked. Her peerage members wanted to try and protect their King, but his presence was releasing enough Light to deter them from coming near.

"What's the antidote?!"

'Hey!' Ghost yelled at him before appearing between him and Rias. "You're not think straight right now, so cool your head off before you do something you'll come to regret."

Saka looked at his partner, the Devils also looking at the construct of Light as they have never seen something like it before, feeling the faint power of Light it gave off that was very similar to his.

He dropped her back to the ground, turning around and closing his eyes as he began taking deep breaths, the Light he was emitting receding. The rest of the Devils got between he and their King, readying themselves should he do something again.

He opened his eyes again, turning towards them as his blue began changing back to green, his face still angry but not as strong as before.

"What is the antidote?"

"What makes you think we'll tell you?" Kiba asked in a defensive manner, but Saka could see his legs shaking along with how his hand was almost hesitant to touch the handle to his own sword. He reached into his pocket and pulled out the Bishop pieces she once had, the Devils gasping when they saw what they were.

"Those are-"

"Her pieces. She can't be a Stray Devil if she isn't even a Devil. Now, I'll be a bit more nice about this… please tell me what the antidote is so I can help her."

None of them were willing to speak, all of them silent as they only looked at each other.

"You need… the special anti-toxin Hydra mothers coat their eggs in… so the younger Hydras are resistant to their own poison." Kuroka spoke out as she held onto her wound, using her Senjutsu to try and heal herself despite how weak her body felt.

Saka went back to her, picking her arms up and lifting her up before he got her onto his back, her arms wrapping around his neck to hold onto him.

He began walking away, but Kiba stood in front of him, sword drawn but with a weak grip on the blade.

"We can't let you leave with a criminal to our society. Much less the Black Cat. Either hand her over or kill her yourself, or we will be forced to take you down too." Rias commanded Saka, standing behind Kiba, Akeno with her wings out with thunder in her hand while Koneko was in a fighting stance.

Part of Kuroka's heart broke when she saw how ready her own sister was to kill her, unable to make any sound as she remained silent, her hold on his neck tightening.

Saka glared at them, his emerald becoming sapphire again, somehow also causing the Devils to flinch when he began releasing his Light again.

"Look here… you say she's criminally insane, yet I'm alive. I've kept her under my roof for nearly 2 months, yet I still live. Last I checked, the insane don't know what they're doing, so explain to me how she's insane."

"Her power of Senjutsu sent her to insanity when she tried to control too much life force at a given moment, thus killing her king and escaping as we sent many to find and kill her."

"…Stay right there. I have something I want you to give to Lucifer. And before you do, go ahead and read it." He took one arm off Kuroka and into his pocket, bringing out the journal he took from her master. He then tossed it into the air and towards Rias, the heiress catching it with no problem.

She opened the journal to the first page, the contents visible.

"Hm… ancient Devil writing. This hasn't been used since the Great War."

"Go ahead… read aloud. I don't understand that writing in the slightest."

"Very well… let's see…

Entry 1: I had finally obtained a pure blooded Nekoshou! I have reincarnated the one called Kuroka as my Bishop, but the little wench took both Bishop pieces to reincarnate. Despite this, I'm sure I can still put her through the experiments like my other pieces before they died halfway through. When I succeeded in poisoning her parents with my special serum that made them suffer for so long, and those cries of pain they made sounded so heavenly to my ears, they had spoken of how they were entrusting a second one to yet another Nekoshou, this one supposedly working for that pointless Satan of ours, Sirzechs Lucifer.

I think Kuroka believes she's hidden her sister from her parents killer, but I'll tell her I've known where she was when she's exhausted her use and I give her to my Queen. He's been a very loyal piece, but it's a shame he's not right in the head. Then again, neither am I. He keeps making comments to me about how attractive she is, but I don't see it. To him, she may be his so called 'soulmate' or 'sweetheart,' but she's merely a pawn to me in my grand scheme.

The only thing I have to worry about is when that older Nekoshou comes and teaches her Senjutsu and Youjutsu, since I can't be in the cells when she's nearby or she'll become suspicious. I have to ask my Queen to also maintain his composure, making it look believable that we aren't insane. First, I'm going to simply be taking blood samples from her to study and find out why her kind are so proficient in learning the arts of Senjutsu and Youjutsu. If I can manage to add that power to my Queen, he will become the ultimate weapon in my plan against uprising the Satans and the council.

I have also specially enchanted this journal to where it requires the blood of Kuroka to cause the entries to appear should it be taken from me. The only way to remove the entries afterwards is to simple put my own blood on the journal. I'll make it recognize whose blood is which when I take the first sample from her.

My only fear at the moment is if she finds out about the experiments I will put her through, but the only people who know of these experiments are the subjects, and the only survivor is my Queen, even my Rooks have died during their experiments. I suppose I should return to her now and make her feel welcome into my household so I can put some trust between us before the experiments begin."

Rias stopped reading when she got to the end of the entry, her eyes partially wide in shock as the other Devils looked at her in shock too, Saka unfazed as Kuroka's arms tightened around his neck, her hair covering his eyes as a single tear could be seen on her cheek.

Koneko, however, was the most shocked as she too had tears on her cheeks.

He began walking again, passing by the Devils as he turned his head just enough for Rias to be in the corner of his sight.

"Remember, give that to Lucifer. Her actions were justified that day…" He kept walking away, carrying her with him as the Devils were too shocked to move now. Koneko fell to her knees, her mind not capable of understanding what she just heard as she grabbed her head.

"No… no, no, no, no!" She began screaming to herself, shaking her head repetitively as the other Devils became concerned for their youngest member.

"Kone-"

"No! Don't… don't come near me!" She got up and ran away, shocking the Devils further before a magic circle appeared in front of her as she teleported away.

"Koneko…" Rias said in a low tone, the others not hearing her as they were still shocked their Rook just ran off.

* * *

 _Scene Transition…_

* * *

He opened the door to his room, carrying Kuroka on his back before entering and laying her down on the bed. Saka stood beside her, his hands moving down and grabbing the obi tied around her waist, undoing it and then pulling her kimono open.

"Trying to take the initiative… when a girl's injured? Didn't know… you were that kind of guy…"

"Not the time for teasing you know."

He was looking directly at her wound, his left palm opening up as Ghost appeared again, also looking at the wound.

"Close the wound, extract whatever venom you can so you try make an antidote if I don't make it back in time. Also, give me the ring."

"…Right." He emitted his beams of Light, all focused on his right hand as a ring appeared on his finger. He turned his hand to have the back face his, his other hand tapping the ring as it suddenly disappeared and was replaced by a glove that looked very similar to the one he wore with his armor.

"I'm guessing that the chance of me finding a Hydra in the Human world are very slim, aren't they?"

"Yeah… they are…"

"Damn… I know it may put more strain on your body, but is it possible for you to send me to a Hydra den?"

"… Why are you doing this?"

"What?"

"Why are you doing this for me? I haven't done anything for you… so why are you helping me? I doubt it includes that deal we made, so why?"

"I know you want me to explain, but I'd rather talk when my friend isn't dying since now I'm running on a time limit. So please, is it possible for you to send me to a Hydra den?"

She looked at him, her eyes looking directly into his emerald as she could see how concerned he was for her.

She hadn't seen someone that worried about her for a long time.

She raised her hand in front of him, creating a small blue orb with a symbol inside before a piece of paper came out. One side showed a dark purple version of her magic circle as the other showed a light blue version.

"I found a den when I was on the run… didn't go in since I didn't want to die yet. This side will bring you to the den while the other will bring you back here, you just need to fill it with magic or whatever your main power source is. Make it quick too… Hydra poison hurts you know…"

"…Thank you. Ghost, give me my sword, Hard Light, Thorn, Preadyth's Revenge, and you-know-what."

"Roger." Ghost's eye flashed briefly as did his glove, Saka then moving to his dresser as he pulled out a shirt and pair of shorts.

He went back to beside her, taking her arms out of her kimono sleeves and taking the large robe off before he put a black shirt on top of her with matching shorts, both loose around her as they were a bit too big.

"I'll fix your kimono when I get back. Keep the wound exposed for Ghost so he can try to minimize the pain. Till then… just stay alive." He held the paper in his hand, Light traveling through his arm and into the paper as the purple circle glew, a matching one appearing behind him as he stepped towards it, turning just enough as he gave her a thumbs up before leaving.

She watched him leave, now being left alone with Ghost as the small construct looked at her.

"Don't worry. He always finds a way to kill anything. He's… well, it's a secret he's keeping from you, so it's better if you hear it from him and not me."

She showed no change in her expression with what he said, instead wondering how long will it take for him to come back, or even if he will come back.

All she could do was have faith in him to heal her before it was too late.

* * *

Maybe I should have called this chapter "Things fall apart"

Oh well, I'm still satisfied with the way I did it here. I already have a few pieces of text ready for the next chapter, so yay!

And another thing is I didn't have to spend a full year to get out 12 chapters since it takes me forever to get out even one!

I know, a bit of a negative, but no one is perfect and I sure as hell am nowhere near that.

I guess I should mention now I'm a 370 Hunter while Heroic Wrath of the Machine will be coming soon.

I shudder to think about what I will have to do to enter that kind of difficulty, especially Hard mode Aksis...

And remember, the new poll will only last for the next 24 hours.

I also mean to ask if there are any artists out there, since if someone can draw a picture of Saka in his armor, don't care what type so long as it is Hunter armor, holding Kuroka with Ghost over his shoulder, I'd really, really be appreciative for taking your time to do that. I'm not that good at drawing with curves, so if someone does that for me, and I'm perfectly fine if no one does, I'd really be appreciative for that.

Farewell, and let us meet next time.


	13. Chapter 13

I am seriously making progress with my updates since I decided to make the side arc. 3 chapters in little over a week? That's a new record for this story compared to my old update schedule with the original.

Reviews:

 **Jebest4781:** Thank you.

 **BigBossVince:** I know not to deal with kids, and I'm honestly considering never letting my own touching videogames when they're old enough when I have my own. I don't use Reddit too much, if not at all thought. And good luck to you too Guardian.

 **Piemaster981:** No, he does not have the Iron Gjalahorn on him since that is a weapon he won't be getting. For a while.

 **BuddyitsDerek:** One, and I killed Aksis finally and got both Normal mode primaries with my cache key. Scout rifle is proving to be my favorite right now. And I'll PM you my gamertag later so I don't get a thousand requests by putting it here.

Also, while I did say I did not like Rias, I wouldn't go so far as calling her the Hillary Clinton of Anime, rather, she is what she is. A pure, 100%, bitch of a Devil.

Also, yes, I know of where Ghosts reside. I'm just doing the whole inside the mind thing for convenience and I feel like it helps put a better bond between Ghost and Guardian.

Issei's girls:

Asia: 14

Irina: 5

Koneko: 4

Ravel: 2

Akeno: 2

Xenovia: 1

Le Fay: 0

So Xenovia finally got a vote? Not to sound rude or anything, but yay! Everyone's favorite female Knight of the Gremory peerage finally has a vote! But, by the looks of things, she won't be coming anywhere near Asia.

Also, to whoever left a review on chapter 12 and I haven't responded to it, I'm sorry, but that chapter glitched a bit and it takes a few days for me to read the review. I just read them today, so I'll reply to yours in the next chapter.

And only 4 people voted for the temporary poll I set up. I expected more.

Well, to compensate that slight disappointment, I guess I'll go ahead and tell you guys what the purpose of that poll really was for.

 **Yes-** Kuroka only

 **No-** Kuroka and Gabriel

No one even said no. Just 4 votes for yes, and that was it. No more votes.

Oh well, it happened. Onto the chapter.

And remember, I used translate for a few words in this chapter, so if I offend anyone, I apologize. I only know English and a few words in other languages, mainly hello or a few words in Japanese because of anime.

* * *

Chapter 13: Cold blooded relations

* * *

He stepped out of the magic circle, a part of him feeling tingly from moving such a far distance without Ghost transmitting him from the ship to the surface of whatever planet he was at or the Dreadnaught.

Still haven't found a way to blow it up without risking the destruction of the solar system.

He looked around the new environment, a dead forest with deathly white tree stumps or remains around him, dry ground with numerous cracks under his feet, and a large cave entrance in front of him.

He looked up, seeing a cloudy sky above him and no signs of any form of light from above.

He'd almost say the Darkness was here.

With how strong his Light felt and the lack of a strange, invisible force suffocating his Light.

Or at least that's what most Guardians say in an area with a strong force of Darkness. He barely even noticed he walked into one when he did. Even the darkest Darkness was something be barely even realized.

His hand went to the glove on his other, tapping the palm of the glove as his armor formed around him, his helmet not on as his hood covered his head while his sword was hidden beneath his cloak. He put the paper she gave him in his pocket, ensuring he won't lose it and be too late should he get the antidote.

"Let's see how long I can breathe in here…" He then moved towards the cave, the darkness inside hiding whatever creatures may be inside as Thorn rested in the holster on his hip. His legs carried him into the cave as his eyes turned blue again, his vision altering itself as it somehow let him see through the darkness around him.

He really appreciated what he inherited from his mother and father, especially his father.

As he moved further in, the more the darkness around him began to match his hair and shroud his armor in its own shade. Thorn gave a soft, eerie Hive green glow from the barrel, the weapon of sorrow somehow at home in the dark for good reason as it vibrated gently in its holster.

At time he questioned if the gun had a mind of its own like Keith's machine gun, Super Good Advice, but now was not the time. He was going in Ghostless against a creature with lethal poison and how knows what other abilities.

He had to play it careful.

The darkness soon shrouded him entirely in its embrace, the warmth of the light behind him gone as it was replaced by the chill of the dark.

His eyes let him see through the dark as if the sun was behind him, looking up should a creature be above him. All he saw were stalactites above, some with water dripping down from above and onto the stalagmites below.

The Hive had scarier catacombs under the Earth than this. They had abominations hidden in their tunnels. They always lived in the dark.

He turned his head just enough to see a small light far behind him, the entrance a long distance behind him now as he saw nothing but rock between he and it.

He turned back around, wanting to find a Hydra quick before it is too late.

The dark cave had an eerie feeling itself, but he was far too used to such a feeling every time he even touched Thorn.

Part of him wondered how the gun was back when it was Rose, before Yor changed the gun to something horrific, something so dark. Perhaps one day, he'll find out if Eris can teach him to remove Hive curses or if she can do it herself.

Or maybe he'll purify it himself.

He didn't care too much since it was still a helpful gun. The Essence of the Devourer Yor left behind in each bullet may have been a dark power, but he's severed the link it had to Xyor to allow him to wield it without risk.

He needs to focus on his objective rather than let his mind wander about his weapons, his hand moving to the sheath on his back and adjusting it slightly should he need to grab it quickly.

He heard something heading his way, his hand moving towards the handle as he pulled it slightly out, a fraction of the blade exposed as he turned towards it, his eye spotting what was coming for him.

A bat, one that was no different than the ones he'd see in the Human world or back home. It flew by him as if it didn't even see him, something he decided to go with as he took a step forward…

Only to suddenly sink into something the moment he put all his weight into a single foot, sinking into whatever it was down to his knee.

He looked down at the substance as he saw a majority of black and grey, lifting his boot up to see it was covered in the substance up to the knee itself while a bit of the Vex plating being covered in it. He decided to look up, finding out exactly what it was he stepped in.

"Of course… just had to be bat shit…" He groaned before he decided to get the bat guano off him, his body erupting in fire as all of the excrement around him suddenly erupted in flames, lighting up the cave almost instantly.

The bats above felt the sudden change in temperature, the fire illuminating their vision as they all awoke in an instant, dropping from their perches above. Their wings flapped in response, preventing them from falling to the ground as they flew away in a large swarm, either over or around him.

He watched them all leave their nest, their bodies creating shadows from the fire around him.

"Least I didn't fall in a well…" His body extinguished itself in seconds when he stopped channeling Solar Light through his body, the fire from the droppings still burning and illuminating the cave as he walked through the fire as if it was no threat.

Solar Light was such a confusing thing to deal with, as it either burned or it didn't. Again, he didn't care too much about it as he moved, his feet now moving faster as he began to run through the cave, but he swore he heard the sound of flowing water ahead.

He moved through the cave, his agility letting him jump over the stalagmites in front of him as he let his Arc lightning stimulate his muscles to let him move quicker.

* * *

 _Scene Transition…_

* * *

She stood in front of her brother's study, the journal Saka handed her in her hands as she was a bit unsure if she should hand him the journal or not. In fact, she was both hesitant and afraid to hand him said journal.

Hesitant because she didn't know if he'd ask her where she found it or how she even got it, while afraid because she believed showing him the journal may cost her Koneko forever.

"Rias, is there a reason why you are standing in front of your brother's study?" A voice she's heard for as long as she can remember came from her side, making her turn to face the source.

Beside her was a beautiful woman in her early twenties with silver hair reaching her back while part of it was let down as the rest was tied into multiple braids having blue bows at the ends and a matching pair of silver eyes. She is wearing a blue and white French maid outfit that also had long sleeves, a white maid headband on her head as she also had red lipstick.

"Grayfia, it's good to see you again."

"Rias, like I said before, is there a reason why you are standing in front of Lord Lucifer's study?"

"A… Human gave me this journal, one written in ancient Devil writing, something a Human should not be capable of doing."

Grayfia raised an eyebrow to what she heard, a look of partial curiosity upon her face. "A Human, you say?"

"Y-Yes. He didn't say how he got it, rather, he just had it and gave it to me."

"Hm. I see. If Lord Lucifer is not occupied with his own work, then perhaps he will take the time to read this journal." Grayfia walked in front of Rias, raising her hand as she knocked on the door to the study. "Lord Lucifer, lady Rias would like to present something to you."

"Rias would?!" A male voice replied on the other side, the sound of papers quickly being shuffled afterwards with what sounded like a few hitting the ground afterwards. Grayfia kept a stoic gaze, but her eyes narrowed just so slightly in annoyance. "Come in."

Grayfia grabbed the handle, pushing it in as she opened the door. They both walked into the study, rows and rows of books around them as a single desk in the back with a figure currently trying to hide a paper in one of the drawers.

Said figure was a man who looked the same age as Grayfia, having shoulder length crimson hair and a pair of blue-green eyes. He looked as if he was a male version of Rias. He wore a set of large, noble looking robes as he finished his attempt to hide the paper, holding his hands in front of him on top of the desk. Grayfia merely sighed in annoyance from his actions.

"Hello, Rias. How is my dear sister doing this fine day?"

"Not… not too good today."

"Oh? And why is that?"

"…Koneko ran away…"

Sirzechs raised an eyebrow, concern taking over his face as Grayfia also raised an eyebrow.

"Koneko ran away? Why would she do that?"

"Because… because of what was in this journal." She stepped forward, standing in front of her brother as she handed him the journal. He took the journal from her hand, opening it to the first page.

"Hm… ancient Devil writing. I haven't used this since I had to send messages in the Great War." He then proceeded to read the entry on the first page, his eyes growing wider as he read as his face began to change to disbelief the further he read. "Dear Satan… there were rumors of him and his Queen being insane, and the numerous occasions he would lose pieces to 'unexplained incidents' were a bit too high to be a coincidence. What provoked you to read this?"

"It… who I believe may have been the Queen had kidnapped Koneko, and framed it on her sister, the Black Cat."

"The Black Cat is in Kuoh?!" Sirzechs stood up, sounding outraged to hear she was near his sister. "Why on Earth is she doing there? I know that she had most likely not heard you were Koneko's master, so why is she in Kuoh?"

"I… I don't know. She just is, living with a Human, a man. But, before he left, the Queen to her former master had poisoned her with Hydra venom. The man who was taking care of her took her away, intending to heal her. I had read the first entry out loud, and when Koneko heard that it was him who killed her parents, she… she pushed me away before running off and using a magic circle to teleport herself somewhere."

"I… I see… How did the Black Cat, Kuroka, react to this? Did she try to attack you or anyone else in your peerage?"

"No… she only held onto the man who actually drove away the Queen. He had arrived just after she was poisoned, his eyes different thought as they were somehow blue, not green. Strangely, his eyes also changed between the two colors, seemingly at will."

' _Eyes… changing colors? From green to blue?'_ "Rias… what is the name of this man?"

"His name? His name is Saka Hikari."

Sirzechs and Grayfia both gasped when they heard that name, Sirzechs actually looking as if he the smallest amount of fear.

"R-Rias… I think it's time you leave…"

"But brother!"

"Now Rias! This is something for mine and Grayfia's ears only!"

Rias opened her mouth to say something, but the feeling of two overwhelming sources of power prevented her from speaking. Sirzechs' eyes had a faint red hue as the air around Grayfia became arctic cold.

"…I understand." She turned around and headed for the door, leaving the study and leaving the two older Devils inside.

They both looked at each other, their gaze telling each other what they heard was true.

"To think he'd truly be in our world…"

"I had thought their kind could only get through with our knowledge, so how did he get here?"

"I do not have the faintest clue, but what I do know is that she won't be too happy to hear this. Her favorite student is dying, so she may take action again today." He held his hand in front of him, a magic circle appearing as it then showed an image.

The image looked to be of a bed with a person sleeping in it, their covers hiding them completely as they could make out the figure to be female with the shape of her body.

"I hope you're awake. This is something important."

The figure in the bed shuffled a bit, arms coming out and grabbing the pillow as she groaned.

"Five more hours…"

"I'd give you the time, but right now, your student is in danger. Saka has gone to a Hydra den most likely to find the antidote."

She shot up from her bed, the blanket still covering her as she was still hidden underneath.

"I guess it's time to get up then…" A Senjutsu magic circle came down from above, covering her in it before teleporting her away from the bed.

* * *

 _Scene Transition…_

* * *

He found the source of the sound of water he heard earlier. And honestly…

He didn't like where it was going.

"Son of a…" He looked down, a large hole in front of him with underground waterfalls pouring into the bottom from multiple sides, a lake at the bottom that he couldn't even see the bottom of.

An idea came to his mind, reaching to his hip and grabbing a Swarm grenade. He pulled the pin and the trigger on the grenade, the grenade developing a red glow around it as he held it over the edge, dropping it.

The grenade fell through the air, picking up speed as it fell before making a splash in the water, but it then suddenly spun around rapidly before sinking to the bottom and disappearing into… something.

"Great… a current… Here goes nothing." He stepped back, breathing in as he held his breath before sprinting forward, running straight for the water below as he jumped right before the ledge, diving straight for the water as his hands moved in front of him to break through the water with little resistance.

He saw the water approaching him rapidly, his hands making contact with the water as he pierced through the surface, being met with a very strong current that threw him around in the water.

The current was stronger than he thought it was, being thrown around inside it as he sank deeper, the water eventually sucking him into the bottom. Underneath, he was still underwater as he was sent down with the current through the underwater tunnel, flailing his arms before he managed to correct himself as he was sent through the tunnel.

His vision was sent everywhere as he tried to control his path, but he was sent straight into a rock that was connected to the top and bottom, hitting his back as he wanted to yell in pain, but doing so would cost him precious air.

The current gave him no time to recover, sending him down the tunnel without mercy. He was sent thrashing through the tunnel again, unable to correct himself again before his cloak got caught on a rock to the side.

The force of the current sent him forward while his cloak was stuck, the cloth around his neck tightening before it was choking him from behind, the sudden force causing his lungs to release the air inside, going straight through his mouth.

He no longer had air, the water eventually drowning him later if his own cloak doesn't choke him to death. His hands moved up to his neck, getting a grip on the cloth around his neck before trying to pull it off.

The force of the current and how well tied cloaks are for Hunters proved to be difficult in removing it, his hands grabbing onto his cloak as he pushed against the strength of the current to then plant his feet against the side, trying his best to pull the cloak out before he drowned.

He pulled as hard as he could without having to channel Arc Light through his body, rather not shocking himself as he couldn't pull his cloak out. He held onto his cloak with one hand, the other grabbing the collar around him to try and untie it around his neck.

His foot, however, slipped off from the rock, sending him back into the current as the cloak became tighter around his neck. The lack of oxygen was beginning to take its toll on him, panic starting to take over as he tried to pull the cloak off his neck, the symbol of the Hunters tied too tight around his neck and preventing him from removing it.

With great regret, his hand moved down to his hip, grabbing a knife he took up to his neck to then cut his cloak off him, his body being sent back into the current as he lost his cloak behind him, his knife being taken from his hand as it went with him.

Panic was still in his mind, the lack of oxygen still with him before he was shot out of the water, arms flailing around him as he fell into another underground lake before he could catch his breath. He tried to correct himself in time, but his vision began turning black as he could feel the strength leaving his body.

His strokes turned weak as his kicking became slow, eyes slowly closing as his hearing dropped into nothing.

His body had gone limp, the weight of his armor pulling him down and further from the surface.

Before all turned black, he felt a warm embrace from behind, the feeling of two arms holding onto him as he swore he saw long black hair before he passed out.

* * *

 _Time Transition…_

* * *

His hand twitched slightly, twitching one more time before curling into a fist.

His eyes shot open, his body shooting straight up as he began gasping for air. His mouth and nose both worked immediately to fill his lungs with air again, coughing out water that was still inside him.

He hit his chest, forcing more water out before he cleared his insides of any remaining water, his mouth taking over for the breathing now as he shivered slightly.

He lifted his hand up to see his armor, despite how water resistant it was, was wet. His hands moved to his head, grabbing the sides of his head before moving up and down as if he was feeling his own face.

"Holy… I'm… I'm still alive…" He had a small smile as he chuckled slightly, falling back down to the rocky floor behind him as he laughed lightly.

"Course you are… had to jump in and save you…" A voice spoke from behind, making him turn around as his eyes widened at the sight behind him.

 _'_ _Another Hunter?!'_

This Hunter was female by her stature and body, her body completely covered in armor as she was missing a cloak. Her armor consisted of green pants with black knee pads on both legs, the left larger than the right as she had black boots reaching halfway up her shin as she also had a black cloth tied around her waist, covering half of her right thigh and all of her left as a black belt also tied it in place, three pouches tied around her.

Her chest was a large piece of black cloth, a green vest over it that was outlined in black and being underneath the cloth on her hip as she had black plating protecting her from the hip up on her sides. For some reason, however, parts of the cloth seemed to also show signs of straining around her chest area.

Her left arm was covered in a light grey cloth, black plating protecting her arm from the shoulder to the elbow as well as plating on the back of her hand. Her right arm looked similar, only it didn't have the plating on her shoulder, instead on her forearm with three compartments for knives, which she had.

Her helmet was the Exotic Hunter helmet, the Celestial Nighthawk. The top half was black as the rest was green.

Something… something about her presence, the very aura around her, made him think of someone he's met before, but he couldn't remember where as his brain was still restarting.

"Good to see you're alive… you were out cold for the past hour."

"The… past hour? …Oh crap!"

"Got a problem? Let me guess… Hydra poisoned someone you know?" He looked at the female Hunter, a bit confused by why she knew why he was here. "This is a Hydra den, so I figured you were here for the antidote to their venom, or to die by the hands of a Hydra. Don't think I don't know… I don't see your Ghost anywhere nearby, that is, unless he died on the way here."

"No… I left my Ghost at home. Left him there so he could try to minimize whatever pain my friend is in and maybe make an antidote if I don't make it back in time, or at all at this rate."

"Don't think that way. You're a Hunter, aren't you? THE Saka Hikari, no less."

"…How do you… no, I made a name for myself back in the Tower. But, how did you get here? Vex portal like me?"

"Yes, but I'd rather not talk about it."

"Ah… I see…" They remained silent, neither speaking as Saka was suddenly set ablaze, his Solar Light drying him in seconds before extinguishing himself. He then proceeded to tap the glove on his hand, his helmet appearing on his head in a flash of light as he stood up. "Well, I got to move now. My friend was poisoned with the venom not too long ago."

"Do you even know the length it takes for a person to die from Hydra venom?"

"…No. Why?"

"… What race is your friend?"

"Nekoshou, why?"

"Former Devil?"

"Yeah… how'd you know?"

"And they were poisoned how long ago?"

"Well, she was poisoned about an hour and a half now."

"You've got half an hour before she dies."

"W-WHAT?!" He sounded too shocked for words, looking directly at her as she slowly stood up. "HOW?!"

"Actually, it depends… how long was it she was no longer a Devil?"

"About 3 days ago."

"Yeah… Nekoshou don't have the best immunity system or resistance to poison, but their body can cure itself with enough healing. When a person has their evil pieces extracted, their body weakens as does everything about them, including their resistance to poisons. In other words, you've got half an hour before she's gone."

"Oh fuck… I'd like to talk more, but like you said, I've got less than half an hour now!" He turned away from the other Hunter, breaking into a full blown sprint as he ran away from her and in the first direction he decided to go in.

He ran faster than before, now knowing how much longer he really has.

A call request, however, popped up in the corner of his H.U.D. He tapped a pressure point in the back of the glove, answering the call.

 _"_ _It's about time you finally pick up. I haven't been able to contact you for the past hour."_

"Ghost! I'm glad to hear from you again, but right now, I'm in a hurry!"

 _"_ _A hurry? You better! Her condition has become worse over the time you've been gone. I can't find any form of antidote for the poison, so you better get the anti-toxin from the Hydra asap! I can't do anymore right now since the wound is close, but the poison has spread pretty far. Her limbs are all poisoned now, her heart is barely able to keep it out but it's failing in time like her brain is at the moment."_

"I know that! She's got half an hour before I'm too late! …Quick! Let me talk to her, I can't go fighting this thing blind!"

 _"_ _No can do. She can't speak right now, only groan in pain or scream. She says she put up a special barrier around your room to keep her screams inside so no one else can hear them, and by the Light… they're loud."_

"Son of a bitch…" He kept running, his plan changing in his mind before he came up with an idea. "It might not be reliable, but look up whatever information about Hydras you can find! I need to know their strengths and weaknesses, and how to kill them!"

 _"_ _Give me a second… ok… ok… pointless rambling… can't find much. Some sources say that if you cut a head off, it will just regrow two more from the remains. Others say take out the legs, but the Hydra is a snake like creature, so they won't have legs if we're right. Best guess is to go off mythology and cut a head off, then burn the wound to prevent it from regenerating anymore heads. Supposedly one head is immortal, so take the other heads off, get the antidote, and run._

 _But like I said, hurry! Her body is weak now, and she even said she can't feel her legs right now. So if you want her to see another day, you better get moving now!"_

"I'm already in… a… hur… ry…"

 _"…_ _Guardian?"_

"Uh… Ghost… I'm going to have to call you back…" He hung up the call and stared at the sight in front of him, a nervous gulp coming from him as he looked up.

It was a large snake like creature with green scales, some looking as if they were razor sharp as it reached the size of three stories. The five heads it had each looked horrifying, three having fresh bleed dripping from their mouths as one had the venom itself dripping from their mouth as each head had very, very sharp looking fangs, each one tipped with more venom as numerous blood red eyes looked down at him, the head in the middle licking its mouth.

"Chikusho (Damn it)…" He looked at the creature in front of him, not realizing he let his English slip and be replaced by his first language. "Watashi wa kono koto o tatakawanakereba narimasen!? (I have to fight this thing?!)"

The Hydra heads then roared at him, each head releasing a deafening roar towards him while some of the heads released their saliva that flew onto him and on his armor. He didn't flinch when the heads all roared at him, instead using his hand to wipe the saliva off his visor.

"Tawagata (Crap)…" His hand reached for his back, grabbing his sword and taking it out as he sighed. "Better make this quick. Someone needs me."

He release a battle cry as he charged towards the Hydra, his hand reaching to his hip as he took out Thorn and aimed it at the Hydra. The Hydra charged at him by slithering across the floor, each head with their mouths open and ready to devour him.

The heads actually split from each other, each one coming from a different direction as he slid under the first head coming for him, his sword scraping against the scales of its neck while he fired a bullet from Thorn.

The Essence of the Devourer poured around the scales of the Hydra, but it did almost nothing but crack the scales, one of the Hydra heads moving under the neck of its own to bite into him. He rolled to the side, grabbing onto the side of the head as it lifted up, its eyes looking up in annoyance from him being on top of it before it then tried to slam its head into the wall with him on it.

He was slammed into the wall, grunting in pain as he still held onto the side of the Hydra head, pulling himself to its scalp, or whatever part it was, as he raised his blade and charged it with Arc Light, piercing through the scales and skin underneath, only to get stuck a few inches from the skull.

The Hydra hissed, two heads moving up as their jaws opened, both heading towards him to bite him as he jumped away, leaving his sword in its head. He slid down the back of the neck, Preadyth's Revenge appearing in his free hand while he fired Thorn into the back of the neck he was on before reaching the back of the Hydra, spinning Thorn in his hand to let him hold onto the barrel of his rifle before he fired into its back.

The tail did not seem to like where he was, moving faster than he could react properly to wrap around his body, but he moved his hand into the air for escape as the other was constricted with him. The tail curled around him, trying to crush him as the heads all turned around and looked at him.

With Thorn still in hand, he took aim at the closest head, shooting it in the left eye as it actually pierced through the eye and into the head, the Essence of the Devourer eating away at the inside of its head as it hissed in pain, the middle head taking the opportunity to eat him as its head shot at him.

He threw Thorn to the side, his open hand now grabbing onto the air beside him as he Blinked out of the tail's hold, in open air as he fell to the ground and caught Thorn again, putting it in his holster as he pulled out the Last Word. Without taking the time to aim, his open hand moved behind the hammer, his hand pulling the trigger as the other pulled the hammer back each time he fired.

He managed to aim without using the sights, his hand-eye coordination moving the barrel and finding the flight path of each bullet that each went straight into the neck of the left head. The bullets did little to nothing to the scales, but he saw how each one left cracks behind.

He remembered a tactic often used in either games or movies, his hand turning the weapon of Shin Malphur to the side as the cylinder opened and released the empty cartridge before he pulled out another and put it in before closing the cylinder, deciding to add some style to his gun by spinning it in his hand.

The heads did not like him hitting their body with bullets, the fourth head using its tongue to shoot out from its mouth and grab him, but he jumped back, taking a knife out before he threw it into the Hydra's tongue, piercing it and keeping it there.

The Hydra didn't seem to like the idea of its tongue having a knife stuck in it, the second head using its tongue to pull the knife out before spitting it to the side. The first and fifth heads opened their mouths, a green mist pouring out and coating the area as his H.U.D. displayed the message telling him of the toxic gas.

"Wonderful…"

The Hydra looked at him, expecting him to be keeling over, but he still stood. He raised his arms out, stepping forward as he decided to play with the Hydra just one time.

"Anata wa, watashi ga doku ni taisuru men'eki yo shitte okubeki koto. (You should know, I'm immune to poison.)" He then turned to his side, away from the Hydra as he talked to himself. "I am really forgetting my English today… must've been because I almost drowned."

The Hydra charged at him, taking him away from his thought as he jumped to the side, taking a knife out as he flipped it in his hand, holding it against the side of the Hydra as the knife scraped against its skin, the Hydra moving passing him as he turned towards it.

He looked down towards his knife before looking back at the Hydra, but his gaze went straight back to his now broken knife.

"Shit…" He threw the knife away, putting Last Word down as he took out Hard Light, hoping its special liquid bullets will pierce the scales and into the skin.

He pulled back the hammer before pulling the trigger only once, letting a single bullet fly that shot towards the Hydra, only to bounce off the neck and hit the wall to the side. He groaned in annoyance, putting his rifle away and replacing it with his sniper, pulling the hammer back on it before not even bothering to aim down the scope, shooting again as he shot out one of the eyes of the fourth head the same one his sword was stuck in.

The Hydra was hissing in pain, roaring at him again as he only fired again, taking out the other eyes to both heads that were missing their eyes, the fourth and fifth head now blind as he ejected the magazine, loading in another one and pulling the hammer before slinging it over his shoulder, attaching it to his back as he ran towards it.

The Hydra spun around, using its tail to try and smash him into the wall again as he jumped over it, landing on its back again before grabbing onto the fifth one's neck and begin running up it. The middle head did not like this as it tried to bite him, but he stopped his ascension, sliding down slightly as the middle head actually bit the fifth one's neck, the head hissing in pain before it began to disintegrate into dust from the head down, his sword falling from where it once was as he fell to the ground and ran towards his sword, catching it before turning towards the Hydra.

The middle head hissed, the fifth head completely gone as Saka decided to record that in his head for later.

'So when a Hydra _bites their own head, it kills the head… keep that in mind.'_

The Hydra looked at him, angered eyes looking at him while the middle head… seemed impressed? That impressed look was quickly replaced by a growl, knowing the Hydra was definitely out for blood for what he did to it.

He spun his sword in his hand, getting his grip on it again before holding it in reverse.

The Hydra growled at him, the mouth opening only to hear a gunshot as the first head's left eye suddenly exploded.

He looked at the Hydra, sighing slightly as he turned around and saw the female Hunter from before, a Hawkmoon in her hand, the silver hand cannon with feathers etched into the barrel emitting smoke from the barrel.

"So… first you save me and then you try to take my target?"

"My pay for saving you. I get to work with the Saka Hikari. Besides, think you're the only one who wants to kill a Hydra?"

"Fair enough." He took Thorn back out, pulling the hammer back as the other Hunter stood beside him. "So… think you can keep up?"

"I don't know." She turned towards him, tilting her head slightly as she put her gun in a holster on her hip, pulling out a Y-09 Longbow Synthesis she held with both hands. "Can you?"

"Only one way to find out." He ran forward, heading towards the Hydra as she knelt down and used her knee as support for her rifle, taking aim as the two eyes on her helmet lit up.

He ran towards the Hydra, his gun in hand before he jumped towards the Hydra, grabbing onto the second neck and using it to jump onto the first head, using his sword to then pierce into the head before pulling it out and putting the cold metal of the barrel against the wound before firing.

The bullet fired from the barrel, into the wound as it dug its way through the flesh, finding the bone before piercing through it and entering an empty skull, piercing through it again before coming out from the bottom part of the head.

The head was motionless, the wound growing in size as it seemed to begin cutting the head in half, also moving down to the neck for some reason.

"Burn the wound before the head splits into two!" She threw a grenade to him, catching it as he didn't recognize it at all, deciding to pull the pin before pulling the lever, dropping it in the wound before he slid down the back of the neck, his sword in the scales as he cut the neck on his way down.

The grenade got inside of the skull, blinking once before exploding. Fire erupted from the wound and down to where it was beginning to split, the head screaming in agony as Saka charged his sword with Solar Light, turning around on the neck before he severed it from the main body.

The head fell to the ground, wiggling slightly as the fire began consuming it, the fire turning it into nothing but ash in seconds.

She looked down the scope to her rifle, taking aim at the second head as Saka went to the fourth. The second head looked towards Saka, opening its mouth and ready to bite into him, but she had another idea for it by aiming just at the top of the jaw, her finger pulling the trigger as the rifle fired a bullet, the special armor piercing rounds coming out of the barrel and traveled straight towards the head's jaw.

The bullet made impact with the head, the scales being pierced straight through as if it was flesh, breaking the jaw off from the hinges as the bullet kept going through the mouth, into the othe hinge as it pierced through and cut the other hinge into two before coming out the other side of the head.

The head hissed as it no longer had control over the jaw, the lower jaw hanging only by its flesh as the second head turned towards her, the middle following it as the fourth was distracted in trying to find Saka, the male Hunter easily avoiding the blind head.

The second and third head moved to head towards her, but the blind head was too focused on dealing with Saka and preventing the main body from moving, the Hunter taking her chance to fire again into the second head's nose, digging through the head before getting stuck in flesh.

The head hissed, the nose dripping blood as it wailed, the third head glaring at her before moving to assist the fourth head with Saka.

It turned the main body towards him, but she took the newly added blind spot as a perfect chance to shoot the back of the head, the bullet piercing the armor like scales and into the throat of the fourth head before turning faster than the Hydra could think and fired another bullet into the second head's neck. She turned again as she fired at the third head, but this head was quicker than the other two as it ducked under the bullet.

The female Hunter took her magazine out, taking a fully loaded one out and inserting it into her gun as she pulled the hammer back. The third head decided to open its mouth as the fangs began dripping with venom, a small hole in the back of the mouth opening like the throat as a green mist came out, the head then shooting a large ball of venom from the back of its mouth towards her.

She put her rifle back on her back, getting to her feet before running and jumping away from where she just was as the ball of venom made impact with the spot she was at, proving to be acidic as the ground she was just at began melting.

She reached to her hip, bringing Hawkmoon back out as she ran towards the Hydra, jumping forward as her boots activated the thrusters as she was propelled forward, activating again as she grabbed onto the dislodged jaw of the second head, pulling herself up as she held onto the upper jaw, using her legs to keep the mouth open.

She raised Hawkmoon into the mouth, pulling the trigger as the bullets it fired shot out of barrel and into the back of the Hydra's mouth, blood coming from the wounds as she fired again and again, using all her lucky shots in the magazine and the bullets themselves as they left thirteen bleeding wounds in the back of the neck, but she didn't stop as she pulled out a Swarm grenade and dropped it in the mouth, letting go of the mouth as she fell to the ground and rolled to minimize the impact.

The grenade mad impact with the lower mouth, splitting into seeking bombs before each exploding inside the second head's mouth as it destroyed the interior.

Saka looked at the second head, the head writhing in pain while it wasn't dying. Not yet at least. He smirked under his helmet, his hand holding onto the nose of the head he was one as he decided to take a shot.

He held onto the head, reaching behind him as another weapon appeared on his back. This weapon was black, a frame like object too with ventilation units lining the barrel, a pipe on the side with a cylinder with a red light above it and a green sight with a green screen showing the weapon was empty, the weapon actually looking as if it was from one of the Warmind bases.

He took out a magazine for the weapon, slotting it into his weapon before he pulled back a trigger on the side, loading the weapon as he jumped into the air away from the Hydra.

His eyes turned blue, his world somehow slowing as he fell while he aimed down the sight, finger releasing the safety mechanism as the heads kept moving, but his finger held onto the trigger as he pulled it down and held, the rifle charging up its shot as the third head saw him out of the corner of its eye, lowering itself just below the other two heads that lined up perfectly for him.

He smirked again under his helmet, the Sleeper Simulant fully charged now as it released the Solar laser from the barrel as the ventilation units turned red, the beam shooting out of the barrel before it tore straight through the fourth head like it was butter, the beam passing through it as it also tore straight through the second head, the charged shot completely destroying the heads as it hit the wall, bouncing from the wall up to the ceiling before bouncing back down and right through the second head again, bouncing up one more time before breaking through the fourth head's skull as it broke through the ceiling afterwards.

The heads were overwhelmed by the charged energy shot, the Solar infused energy destroying the heads completely as both stopped their movement, both ceasing to remain where they were as they fell to the ground with a loud thud, disintegrating and leaving only one head left.

He landed on the ground, the Sleeper entering a cooling phase as the ventilation units initiated a cooldown that lasted no more than two seconds, the heavy fusion rifle ready to fire again. He aimed the rifle at the last head, finger on the trigger and ready to fire again as the female Hunter moved to beside him, putting in a new cartridge as both aimed their weapons at the last head.

 **"Hm… I haven't dealt with beings that could manage to take my heads in centuries."** The Hydra spoke with its final head, Saka surprised to hear it speak as he kept his gun aimed.

"So… you do speak."

 **"Of course I do. Who do you take me for? One of those moronic male Hydras?"**

"One of those male Hydras? …So I take it you're female?"

 **"Yes, and I must say… for a mere Human, you have surprising agility and speed, with strength and weapons. Using a single attack to destroy two of my heads? I'm impressed."** She began slithering towards them, her body actually shrinking in size before she was at his height, her blood red eyes clearing to reveal a pair of bright yellow with slitted pupils like a snake. **"Now, judging by how neither of you are trying to take my head right now, I'm to assume you came here for something? If it includes me becoming your familiar, you can forget about it."**

"Familiar?"

"Something many Supernatural entities have. A familiar is a trusted creature Devils, Fallen Angel, Angels, or magicians have to either do scouting or personal jobs."

 **"Hm… you sound unaware of even the simplest thing to the world of the Supernatural."** The Hydra slithered towards him, circling around him now. **"I have to ask… have you ever considered spending time with a Hydra? We may have rumors of being vicious creatures in the past, even territorial to our own kin, but the rumors are actually false."**

He looked at her, his mind knowing what she mean't because of a certain Nekoshou.

"Sorry, but… I believe I have someone else in mind."

 **"Hm… I see. You made the right choice too… some Hydras eat their mates. But, alas, I already have younglings."**

"Wait… your own?"

 **"Of course. Did you think female Hydras didn't mate early in their life? I've been raising my hatchlings for the past few months."**

"I heard you coat your young ones in a special anti-toxin, is this true?"

 **"Of course. Their venom is too strong for their own bodies to handle when they are young, so we females protect them by letting them grow in our anti-toxin until their venom is safe for their young bodies."**

"In that case… can I get some? My friend has been poisoned by a man whose weapon was coated in Hydra poison, and I need the antidote. She told me the antidote was the anti-toxin."

Her eyes narrowed when he said that, barring her fangs at him as she grew herself longer, curling around him and tightening around him, constricting him completely as he could feel his body being squished. She had her head on level with his, hissing at him.

 **"You expect me to give you the anti-toxin I only give to my hatchlings?!"**

He didn't flinch at where she did, instead clenching his hand around his glove as his armor disappeared, his blue eyes looking at her as she suddenly felt an overwhelming force from him.

"Yes, and I'm not leaving until I get her that antidote."

She looked at him, her lower half not coming off his body in the slightest until she uncurled herself from him. Before he could speak, her tail moved up before smacking the ground, the wall behind her crumbling slightly as rocks near the bottom fell out, a soft green glow coming through the new cracks. She turned around, moving towards the hole and climbing inside.

He watched her enter, turning to his side to see the other Hunter was gone. He spun around, his eyes looking for the Hunter, only seeing rocks and a faint ray of light from above due to his Sleeper Simulant.

"So much for speaking with another Hunter…" He moved back a bit from where he last saw her, moving to the rocks and the hole the Hydra left behind as he climbed up, getting up to the hole and looking through.

Inside he saw a small den area, the ground covered in an odd green liquid with two much, much smaller Hydras rolling around in it, both having the same colored scales as the one before with three heads instead of her now one.

She moved to both Hydras, wrapping around one as her tail pulled the other close to her and it.

 **"Don't worry. These two are female too, so they won't try to take a bite out of you… unless they're hungry."** She lowered her head to both of them, the smaller Hydras nuzzling their smaller heads against hers, herself seeming to enjoy the action of her young ones.

Saka nodded as he dropped through the hole, landing on dry ground. The younger Hydras noticed his presence, both turning from their mother and towards him as their middle heads hissed at him.

 **"No, no, dears… he is not food. I suggest going ahead and helping yourself to the antidote. These two may chase you after you take some, so I do hope you have a magic circle for teleportation."**

"Thanks…" He knelt down on the side of the pool, his hand moving into his pocket as he pulled out a small tube and took the top off, dipping it into the pool as it began filling up with the anti-toxin. He pulled it out once it was full, closing the tube as he put it in his pocket, switching it out for the paper Kuroka gave him.

The Hydra saw the paper, recognizing the circle on the paper as it looked as if she developed a sly smile.

 **"A Senjutsu circle? So your friend is a Youkai? If she is, I suggest you hurry. Hydra venom is more lethal to the Youkai. Unless they're snake Youkai, then they have a resistance."**

"I'll keep that in mind, I guess. Also… will your other heads come back or…"

 **"The second and third, yes. You cut off my fourth and fifth, however. Those won't be coming back unless I am attacked and the attacker forgets to prevent my regeneration."**

"Well, so long as what I did wasn't permanent. Sorry about your heads, but I need to go now before my friend dies." He charged the circle with his Light, the circle coming off from the paper and appearing behind him as he stepped through it, waving to the Hydra as he left.

* * *

 _Scene Transition…_

* * *

He stepped out of the portal, body still feeling tingly from moving so far without Ghost transmitting him.

His eyes blinked a bit, trying to get whatever dust from the cave out of both as he partially regretted taking his armor off after going so far deep.

"It's about time you got back." Ghost floated over to his shoulder, his single eye looking at his Guardian's rapid blinking before he shook his head, eyes clear now as he looked at him. "Her condition hasn't changed much since the call. Her heart and brain are starting to fail in keeping the venom out, so you better give her the anti-toxin."

"Give me a needle." Ghost complied as he emitted his beams, a needle forming from the light in Saka's hand as he took the anti-toxin out. He stuck the needle through the top, pulling it back as it filled itself with the anti-toxin.

He turned to face her, seeing her body covered in sweat at this point as her breathing was rapid. Her eyes turned to the side and spotted him, the needle in his hand with the green liquid inside as she decided to prepare herself for it.

"Best spot to put it in?"

"Near the heart, just above her left breast."

"So I have to expose her chest?"

"Oh, I'm sorry, but do you want her to live or not?" Ghost rebutted, actually sounding as if he was annoyed by Saka.

"Of course I want her to live."

"Then pull the collar down to her chest and put in the needle."

"…Fine…" He moved to te bed, his hand moving towards her and up to the collar of his shirt around her before it stopped, hesitation taking hold of his hand.

His hand remained hovering just over the collar, his mind confused by why he stopped his hand as Ghost seemed to have groaned.

"For Light's sake… here." Ghost flew down towards her, using himself to pull the collar and expose the top left of her chest. "Now put the needle in if you want her to live."

Saka nodded as he placed his free hand on her now exposed skin, her veins turning green as her expression became one of pain. He took the needle up and placed it against her skin, the small, pointy cold metal pushing her skin down slightly before it cut into her skin, the needle going all the way.

His thumb pushed the plunger down through the needle, the green liquid inside being pushed through the shaft and into her as he emptied the entire needle into her body before pulling the needle back out, a single drop of blood coming behind as Ghost moved away, releasing the collar as it went back to her neck.

Her body tensed when the anti-toxin was inserted, her body then releasing itself from the tension as her eyes closed, her chest no longer moving up and down as she made no other movements.

"…"

"…"

"…"

"…Is… Is she still alive?"

"I don't know, you tell me."

"…You don't have to sound like a jerk about it."

"Then go ahead, check her heartbeat, check her pulse, see if you can hear her breathing if you want to know."

Saka looked at his Ghost, never seeing him act this way before as he decided to do what he suggested. His hand lowered itself to where her heart should be, feeling the faint beating it gave as he felt some motion from her chest. He pulled his hand away before lowering his head near hers, hearing nearly silent, but still there, breathing.

"Hikari ni kansha (Thank the Light)…" He said as relief filled his body.

Ghost, on the other hand, flew up and right into his face.

"You're speaking Japanese again." He then floated closer, no more than an inch from his face. "You only do that after nearly dying because your brain is in shock or restarting from lack of air."

"Um… eh… hehe…"

"…Come with me, right now." Ghost flew away, leaving the room as Saka decided to follow, moving after his Ghost as they both went through the hallway of his house before entering the living room.

"What do you want to talk about?"

"Why are you doing this?"

"…What?"

"Why are you risking your life for someone you barely even know? You went and fought a creature with strong enough venom to kill you for all we know and it's also one we've never encountered before! You even went in, without me! You could have died fighting against it! For all we know, she could actually still be working for the Devils, plotting behind your back how to get rid of you!"

Saka's eyes narrowed, slight anger rising up from inside him. "Where the hell is this coming from?"

"I don't know. You tell me when you've become so trusting to someone whose been lying to you about who they really are since day one!"

"Because she's my friend!"

"Oh, just because she's your friend you know next to nothing about, you decided to go risk your life to save hers? What if she lied about the venom? What if it was only weakening her and the anti-toxin you got only made her stronger? Strong enough to kill you, Keith, everyone you're close to in this time! Including Gabriel!"

Saka grunted, but that grunt was soon replaced by a growl. He reared his fist back, sending it forward as Ghost only dropped beneath his fist.

"Now look at you! You're attacking your own Ghost!"

"Because you're saying she'll kill everyone I care about in this time! She won't do something like that!"

"And how do you know this? Did she just say she won't kill anyone? For all we know, she could be manipulating you! Using you just so she can get what she wants like she did when she was Kurai!"

"This is different from then! She was only a cat back then, so I treated her like one!"

"She was never a cat! She was only a Devil in disguise the whole time! Do you have any idea how much information she could have gotten from you and sent back to whoever her boss is?!"

"Why would she be a spy?!"

"Because of who you are! You're an anomaly to every single being in this time, so of course, they'd send a spy to get information on you and find out whether they should kill you or recruit you for an evil purpose!"

"Why are you accusing her like this?!"

"Why are you defending her?!"

"Because she's my friend and I trust her!"

Ghost didn't say anything after, his eye looking at his Guardian before it flashed.

"Take it. Everything in your inventory. Armor, weapons, even your spare clothes. And I suppose I shouldn't forget about this!" Ghost brought his sword out from the inventory, throwing it at Saka who caught it by the sheath.

"What are you doing?"

Ghost gave no reply as he floated towards the door, Saka following him and keeping him in his sights as Ghost opened the door, the night sky outside.

"Ghost… what the hell are you doing?"

Ghost remained silent before hovering out the door, going upwards and into the night sky as Saka followed, looking up at his partner leaving before he disappeared into a flash of light.

"Ghost… Ghost!" He called out to the now gone Ghost, his voice echoing into the sky to get no reply. His eyes kept looking into the dark sky above, not a single sign of Ghost in sight anymore as his head lowered, his hair covering his eyes as he turned around and went back in, closing the door behind him.

He moved back through his home, his sword still in hand and sheathed while he made his way back into his room.

He went straight to his closet, opening it and moving some clothes out of the way before he put his sword inside one of the jackets in the back, leaving his closet shortly after before turning around and falling onto his bottom, his bed against his back as he let out a deep breath.

"…Guess you heard us, didn't you?"

She looked down and to the side of the bed, nodding slightly as her lower half didn't have the strength to sit up at the moment.

"Me and him never argue about anything… we have a few occasions where one of us has an opinion while the other has a different opinion, but we usually resolve it after a bit of talking, but this… oh jeeze…"

Her expression changed to one of concern, looking at him as she tried to speak, but found her vocal cords too strained to make anything more than a whimper at the moment. She then raised her hand out from the sheets slowly, pointing at herself as he turned and looked at her.

"No… it's my fault. He was right about how quick I was to trust you, even risking my own life to save yours."

Her expression changed to worry now, a bit of fear in her eyes because of her weaker body as she tried to push herself away.

"No… I won't hurt you. I can't find it in myself to hit my friends. In fact…when you were Kurai, I didn't see you as a pet of mine… I saw you as my friend. I know it sounds pretty stupid, me seeing a small kitten as a friend, but I'm a cat person. I… I can't handle being alone, so I can't live by myself for too long. I might have- or now, had- Ghost, but I need another person, someone else who can actually feel emotion.

When I found you in the alley that night, I thought I had found someone who would stay with me for a few years. I thought you were a cat, so I expected the life span of a cat. Instead, you've got a much longer lifespan when you showed yourself to me.

I know it sounds selfish, but… I can't live alone. When you did reveal yourself, I thought our relation would change. I thought the way I thought about you would change too, but, I still saw you as my friend. I don't know what you see me as, a Hunter with the power of Light that you want your children to have or some man who gives you hospitality that you're taking advantage of, but really… I don't want to always lose people I'm close to.

You remember how I told you my sister and mother are dead, right? Well, after that, my aunt died. My aunt was Keith's mom, so he was more heartbroken about it than I was. After that… two people… my best friends… they died in a botched mission. Every time someone I was close to died, I feel… I feel like I lost a part of myself. I may look like a man, but in truth… I'm just a teenager that's been fighting for 3 years of his life in a one sided war whose afraid.

I can't… I can't be alone too long, since I need someone else with me or my solitude will drive me crazy. And because of who I've lost… my mom, sister, aunt, and one of my best friends… because they were all women, I developed a fear that if I get too close to any woman, she'll die, and I'll lose another piece of myself with her.

You were there when she asked me… now you know why I said no to Gabriel to the idea of a date between us, even if it's just between employee and employer to get to know each other better."

His hand moved up to his head, his fingers running through his dark hair as his eyes… they had a sad look in them as he had tears in his eyes. Actual tears.

She looked at him, shocked to see him so sad. She wanted to try to do something, but he spoke again.

"I'm… I can't deal with it anymore… losing those I'm close to. When you were poisoned, I panicked… my mind panicked because my friend was dying, and I had no clue how to save her… When you told me of the antidote and sent me there, I knew I had to save you because you used your already weakened strength to give me a way there and back…

And now… I lost my own partner… someone whose been there by my side since I first became a Guardian, when I first became a Hunter. I just… I can't take it anymore… There won't be enough of me left when everyone is gone…"

He held his head low, his tears now coming down his face and dripping onto his shirt. She could only look at him, a part of herself feeling his sadness coming from him.

She felt sympathy with him, herself knowing how it felt losing someone they were close to. Her hand moved out of the sheets, slowly moving towards him before touching the top of his head, slowly stroking the top of his head.

He lifted his head up, surprised to feel her hand touching his head like so as he turned towards her, Kuroka giving him a soft smile that felt as if it was mean't to reassure him. Her smile, however, felt as if it was working, his mind calming faster than he thought it would despite what just happened.

He sniffled, clearing his nose as he lifted his hands to his eyes to wipe them of his tears before coughing to clear his throat.

"…Even if you're healing from lethal venom, you seem to know how to help me… Arigatou."

She raised an eyebrow to his sudden change in language. He realized his mistake, sighing lightly before grabbing her hand and moving it to her side, standing up.

"Sorry, first language. It comes out when, like Ghost said, my brain faces near death or a lack of oxygen. In this case… a bit of both." He tapped the palm of his glove, a menu popping up as he moved through the menu before coming across his inventory, touching a segment labeled 'clothing' and touching a button, his current clothing disappearing and being replaced by his sleeping attire. "I guess it's time we get some shut eye. Nearly dying isn't something either of us wants to go through again, is it?"

He gave a light chuckle as she only stared at him, monotone eyes as he stopped his chuckle.

"Ok… yeah… bad timing… I'll… I'll show myself out…" He turned his glove back into the ring as he moved for the door, only for his arm to suddenly be pulled back.

He turned and saw her hand holding onto his wrist, her hand pulling away before pointing at the ground beside the bed.

"You… want me to sleep on the floor?" She nodded. "Ok… if you want." He turned back to his closet, opening it again and reaching into the shelf at the top before he pulled out a rolled up futon. He placed the futon on the floor, rolling it out before he took a blanket out for it, getting on the mat before laying the blanket over him as he forgot a pillow.

She took the pillow from what is usually the spot he sleeps in, handing it down to him as he accepted it, nodding in thanks before placing it behind his head. Before deciding on closing his eyes, he looked at her one more time, their eyes meeting as he grew a slight smile.

"Oyasumi. (Good night.)"

She gave another soft smile, her mouth moving to speak as no audible words came out due to her strained vocal cords, but he understood what she said.

'Oyasumi…'

He smiled slightly again before snuggling inside his resting spot, getting comfortable shortly as both closed their eyes, soon falling asleep in minutes as they let the dark embrace of sleep take over and end one of their worst days ever.

* * *

I wonder how you guys will react to this chapter. Ghost has left Saka because he trusts Kuroka too easily, another Hunter is in the world of the Supernatural as Sirzechs and Grayfia seem to be on to Saka.

And I'm sure a few people will already know a few about this chapter that I did do with some parts, like who it was talking to Sirzechs. That will all be revealed in the future. Mainly just before Riser starts up after I finish my side arc.

Farewell, and let us meet next time.


	14. Chapter 14

Sorry it took almost a month for the next chapter, been doing a lot of stuff in Destiny. Hard Raid, which actually feels a little easier than Normal, Challenge mode, Warframe since it is an addicting game. And I have been writing a few extra stories I will post once this story is somewhere along the lines of chapters 30 or 40. And I may have found interest in League of Legends. Possibly.

A bit.

Ok, I did.

Onto the reviews!

Reviews:

 **Guest:** No, Guardians cannot become Devils. This is because of the Light inside their bodies, preventing them from becoming Devils.

 **Jose19:** While he may have weapons, that won't stop him from kicking butt and taking names. Hunters are the most dangerous type of Guardian for a reason.

 **BuddyitsDerek:** Because you said that, you reminded me of those scenes back in the show. I haven't seen it since season 9. And I see you're catching on to a little something. Also, no. No Battlefield 1 yet. And I'm not going anywhere near Infinite Warfare. It looks horrible.

 **Jebest4781:** Thank you.

 **Piemaster981:** While it is true Sleeper Simulant does not have the damage capability of everyone's favorite Solar rocket launcher, I am rather fond of the Simulant. But, my favorite Exotic heavy has to go to Darkdrinker. I'm saying this because I did Hard Mode Aksis, and a member had to tell us to stop damaging Aksis since we were doing too much with our swords, otherwise, we'd all be down Supers and ammo. Yeah... good memory.

Also, to the guy I said I would message my GT to, sorry it's taking me so long, I've been busy with a few things. I'll get around to it, I swear, just not right away.

Issei's girls:

Asia: 16

Irina: 7

Koneko: 4

Ravel: 3

Akeno: 2

Xenovia: 2

Le Fay: 0

I guess I should also mention another reason why it's been taking me so long is because on the days it's subbed, I'm watching Ex-Aid. And when they announced the crossover movie between he and Ghost will involved Wizard, Gaim, and Drive, I may have gotten a bit jittery in excitement since two of my favorite riders make a return. Still need to see Gaim.

Onto the chapter.

* * *

Chapter 14: A climax begins

* * *

"What in the world are you doing?" Keith asked his cousin, who was currently on top of his couch, seeming to struggle with his hand that was trying to reach behind it for something.

"What does it look like? I'm trying to get something out from behind the couch." He tried pushing his arm further down, but whatever was behind the couch was still out of his reach, his fingers not even touching it.

"…Move aside." Keith got on the couch as Saka pulled his arm out, Keith's own arm that was just longer moving behind the couch as his hand touched something… cold and metallic.

He didn't bother thinking about what it could be, pushing his arm further in as he grabbed it… and felt the shape of a barrel. He took his arm out, the item in hand as he saw a Fatebringer in his hand.

"…Dare I ask?"

"Ghost gave me some of my weapons before he left… and scattered others around my home."

"Dear Light… you should not have argued with him like so. He is your partner, and without him, you are more vulnerable than before. You can die at any given moment and won't comeback unless he does."

"Yeah, I know… I just couldn't accept what he was saying about her."

"What was he saying about her?"

"He said that I trusted her too easily when she could be a spy for the Devils because Guardians are an anomaly to their world, the closest thing they're used to being the Angels."

Keith stared at his cousin, a sigh escaping his mouth as he held Fatebringer out for him. Saka accepted his gun from Keith, opening his inventory through his glove before putting it away.

Keith looked at the glove, his eyebrow rising as curiosity awoke inside his mind.

"What is that?"

"This?" He raised the glove, tapping it as it hanged back into a ring. "It's something I made the first month I was here. This is in case I lose Ghost, like now, or Ghost can't get to me. It keeps my armor and weapons in another inventory Ghost can take from or give to."

"I can see that, but how in the world did you make it with the technology this century has? They are nowhere near molecular deconstruction, much less turning solid items into data."

"You remember those Ghost shells I used to collect? The dead ones?"

"… That is insulting the dead."

"Yeah… figured you'd say that."

Keith looked at him, his eyes however, looked to the sides as if he was making sure no one was there.

"…How do you make it? I believe I can use one myself."

"Can't… I don't remember how since Ghost made it and he has the blueprint, and he's… well, yeah."

"Perhaps Arashi can contact your Ghost."

"That depends if Ghost is even still within radar radius. He flew into the sky before disappearing, so I don't know what direction he went in, or how far he's gone."

"In that case, why not have-"

"She can't even walk straight ten steps before falling to her knees, if not completely. Her lower half still feels numb from the poison, so no."

"Hydra venom sounds to be a very dangerous thing if its effects can last a few days. Did you not give her the antidote?"

"Of course I did. Apparently, the amount I gave her was enough to get rid of the poison, but some side effects were left behind. In this case, numbness." He turned around and went into his kitchen, straight to the fridge as he took out a bottle. Keith saw the bottle, confusing it for something else as Saka opened it and drank.

"I had no clue you were keeping alcohol in your home."

"Hm?" He stopped his drinking, looking at the bottle in hand before turning it around to show the label saying 'Woohoo.' "I stopped drinking about a month after I got here. The stuff here isn't as good as the stuff back home. As a substitute, I went for chocolate milk."

"You and your chocolate… other Guardians are saying you are addicted to chocolate."

"Partially true. I just don't eat enough of it to gain weight." He brought the bottle to his mouth again, the cold liquid pouring down his throat. He pulled the bottle away after a moment, a small grin forming in front of his mouth before it disappeared shortly after. "…Eventually, Asia will have to leave you know."

"What? Why?"

"Keith, we can't keep a teenage girl here. You and I both know neither of us can help her anymore than we already have. What's more, she is apparently innocent to the attraction between males and females, something I'm sure Kuroka is just waiting for the chance to teach her in a possibly very perverse way."

"I heard that!" Her voice resounded through the hall, Saka turning towards it.

"You were supposed to!" He yelled back, groaning slightly before turning back to the Warlock. "We can't keep her here. Need I remind you that apparently the White Dragon Emperor is looking for me and Kuroka? We don't know how he works, so we don't know if he'll try to use her to get to us. It's better to send her somewhere else, somewhere she'll be safer."

"…I suppose you're right. He did, after all, snap my neck like it was nothing more than a twig. I believe I have an idea of where she can go, so I will go speak with her and Raynare. You go ahead and tell Kuroka you'll be leaving soon." He turned around and walked down the hall, heading towards Asia's room as Saka followed, splitting off and heading to his own.

He opened the door to his room, stepping in. "Hey, me and Keith will be…"

He stopped his sentence when she took her eyes off the screen and to him, the Avengers currently on his television. He stepped back and into the hallway, her eyes still on the door as he came back a few minutes later, a bowl of popcorn in hand as he made his way to the bed, sitting on his side as he placed the bowl between them.

"Hm?"

"Sorry, but I like this movie. I hope you don't mind."

"Of course not, nya. Just means I have a movie buddy since the second comes on after."

"Oh sweet… Go ahead and have some, there's enough for both of us."

She didn't listen as she was more focused on the movie, her hand now reaching for the bowl and grabbing some before putting it in her mouth without her even thinking about it.

A moment later, Keith came to the door.

"Saka, I hope you're-" He cut himself off when he saw his cousin more focused on the TV screen, seeing what movie was playing as he gave an annoyed sigh. "Of course you would… nevermind." He stepped out of the room, closing the door behind him.

"Is he not coming?" Asia asked from Keith's side, the Warlock turning towards the nun as he nodded.

"Saka has a habit of ignoring others when one of his favorite movies is on… and sadly, he likes a lot of Marvel movies."

"Oh…"

"Well, I suppose it will be you and I on our way. I merely hope he will say yes."

* * *

 _Scene Transition…_

* * *

He didn't know why he was called here, but he followed Keith's directions easily. The only issue was where he was…

The same park. The same place Hinshi, or her real name, Mittelt tried to kill him.

A part of him actually never wanted to be here again, but Keith said it involved Asia, so he had to come for his friend.

He looked down at the bench he awoke on top of with Saka nearby, the memory still fresh in his mind as if it just happened.

His musing was ended when he saw the two figures he was waiting for arriving, waving to them to signal where he was as both Keith and Asia walked towards him.

* * *

 _Time Transition…_

* * *

Asia was looking at the pond, looking as if she was a child admiring the fishes that swam underwater.

"You want me to what?" He was baffled by what the Warlock in front of him just said, looking at the Warlock as if he was crazy.

He was close, honestly. A Warlock who is completely sane does not exist, as Keith himself was missing a bit of his own sanity, but only a small fraction of it was missing. Just enough to look as if he were sane.

"I want you to let Asia live with you. Saka is being hunted by a man who can easily defeat me, and neither of us know how he works. We fear that by having her close, he will use her to try and kill Saka."

"Why would he target Saka? It's not like he's done anything to this guy, has he?"

"As far as I know, no. I have reason to believe it is because power attracts power. As such, it seems as though the Light of a Hunter has attracted the power of a Dragon… A Dragon like ours."

At this point, Issei had lost track of what they were talking about anymore. Were they talking about Asia moving in with him or were they talking about big, flying lizards in the sky that breath fire.

"What Dragon? Do you have a pet Dragon?"

"I said our Dragons, as in mine and yours."

"But I don't have a Dragon."

Keith looked at the teen in front of him, a light groan coming from him in annoyance from the boy before he raised his left arm, a flash of green appearing around his arm before the Elemental Shackle appeared.

His hand moved towards Issei's, touching his left hand as he caused a red flash to appear on his arm, the red gauntlet from the night of the full moon appearing again.

"What the-?!" He jumped back, shocked to see the gauntlet again as he almost forgot about it.

"Your Sacred Gear. Raynare told me of how yours had the essence of a powerful Dragon like the one on my arm, mine being Elemental Shackle as yours is the Boosted Gear, a Sacred Gear that doubles your power every ten seconds. It is a powerful weapon that when used in the right hands can kill Gods themselves."

"What?! Why do I have this?! Shouldn't someone who actually looks like the roll of a fighter have something like this, like Saka?!"

"He cannot take your Sacred Gear. Should it be forcefully removed from your body without the proper rituals and spells in use, you will die in minutes. The Sacred Gear is bonded to the soul of the host, becoming one with them. You were born with yours and have now awakened it, but it is up to you if you want to use its power or not.

What's more is that you have Light. Not everyone is given a blessing of Light like the one you have. In fact, even I don't know how you have Light. The only person capable the granting a blessing of Light is the Traveler, and he has not arrived to Earth yet. At this moment, you have the power to become a Titan, for you have unleashed the fury of the undying suns.

You have the potential to become a Guardian, the question is do you want to be one?"

He was quiet during the explanation, a nervous gulp going down his throat.

"What… what are the options?"

"Should you say yes, you will be trained to the best of my capability into becoming a Titan. I cannot teach you all there is to becoming a Titan, but I've learned much from my own tutor when I was put into fights against Titans. But, by becoming a Guardian, you have a sworn duty of protecting those who cannot protect themselves.

Should you say no, Saka can take the Light out of your body, leaving you alive as I am sure Raynare can find a way to safely remove the Boosted Gear from your soul, granting you a normal life, devoid of anything from the world that has long been hidden from you.

All you must say is either yes or no."

Issei looked up at the Warlock who stood at a taller height than he or Saka, possibly somewhere close to six feet or higher.

Actually, now that he got a good look at Keith, he could see he was definitely taller than Saka. About half a foot actually.

Nonetheless, he looked up at the Warlock in front of him, his gauntlet covered hand clenching into a fist as did his other.

His gaze moved to the side, towards the pond where Asia was looking at the fishes under the surface of the water.

He remembered the night she almost died, incapable of doing anything himself to save her as all he could do was leave and hope for the best. She was the first friend he's had since his friend from his younger years moved away, but always remembering his name.

Irina.

He missed his friend, and Asia was the second friend he's made since as long as he can remember.

His eyes took on a more serious look, looking at Keith straight in the eyes before nodding.

"Yes. I'll become a Guardian if it means I can protect people."

Keith smiled lightly as he reached his hand out, Issei doing the same as their gauntlets grabbed the other, but Keith's grip felt a bit too tight.

"That is good to hear, as you have the resolution of a Defender. Sadly, this part may hurt a bit."

"Wait, what pa-"

He was cut off the moment Keith sent Arc lightning straight into his body, the Arc Light entering his body without any resistance as it began electrocuting him from the inside out.

His body reacted to the Arc, his muscles throbbing in pain while the lightning also stimulated said muscles, making that throbbing even more painful than it should be. The Arc Light channeled throughout his body, every inch of his body being electrocuted.

His heart reacted to the sudden charge by beating faster, faster than he ever felt it beat before as it felt like it was going to burst right out of his chest. The Lightning surrounded his brain, the part of his body already having an electric charge within being overpowered by the Arc Light as it felt like his head was about to split open and let his brain out, only to explode into tiny bits.

He felt the urge to scream- the need to scream in pain from the amount of it he was feeling. His body felt as if it was being burned from the inside out due to the Arc lightning almost cooking his skin, his flesh, and every single bone inside his body. His veins felt like they were about to burst from the electricity inside of him, numerous blasts that will move from inside his arm up to his heart.

He tried his best to not scream from the amount of pain he was in, his teeth grinding together to distract himself as he began losing balance with his feet, slowly dropping to one knee.

Keith admired his determination to keep going without screaming. Even the most powerful of Titans have screamed in pain from this procedure. He stopped channeling Arc Light, instead letting Void flow out from his arm and into Issei's body.

He felt the Void Light enter his body, his body suddenly losing all senses the moment it reached his head. He no longer felt the pain his muscles were feeling, the headache from the Arc, the strain his heart just faced as he felt as if he was not numb, but beyond numb in every inch of his body.

He could feel anything anymore, his body still on one knee because his mind lacked the strength to tell him to get up, the strength to scream had also disappeared as he felt like his lungs have disappeared.

He couldn't feel an inch of his body, almost as if he was floating. Floating in an endless space of nothing.

Keith had a bead of sweat trickle down his forehead as he took a deep breath, changing from Void to Solar to complete his own.

Pain erupted in every inch of his body, the feeling as if he was standing right in the middle of the sun. His hand clenched, every muscle in his body burning to the bone as his blood felt like it was boiling, ready to melt him into nothing.

His heart went from beating incredibly fast to almost beating too fast for his own body to handle. His hand moved up to his chest, grabbing onto the spot his heart should be as he held onto it to try and prevent his heart from pounding right out from his chest.

His body wanted to sweat, wanting to use the cooling system his body was born with, but not a single drop was capable of forming on his body without evaporating into nothing in an instant.

His eyes felt like they were shriveling, the liquid coating them feeling as if they were no longer there as the Solar Light inside him was burning everything.

Their Sacred Gears, however, reacted to this.

Boosted Gear's gem glew bright green as Elemental Shackle glew bright yellow, a small orb of this combined power forming between their hands without their knowledge before suddenly erupting into an explosion.

The explosion sent them flying from each other, Keith flying into a tree and slamming straight against it and actually breaking the bark and leaving a dent in the wood itself. Issei flew backwards, hitting the ground before rolling onto his back.

Asia heard the blast, turning around and seeing what happened as she gasped.

"Issei!" She yelled to said boy as she ran towards him, arriving by his side as she got beside him as she began healing him with her Sacred Gear.

He groaned, his hands trying to close into fists, but his hand felt a bit too weak to manage that kind of strength as the gem on the back of his Sacred Gear was still glowing, looking as if it was in tandem with breathing before fading out.

Keith groaned as he fell off from the tree, landing on the ground himself as the back of Elemental Shackle was also glowing, as if it had sentience controlling it before fading.

He pushed himself up, grabbing his head as he felt a horrible headache.

"That… is not supposed to happen…"

"What was supposed to happen? Heck, what were you doing?"

"A common technique used by certain Warlocks who have reversed our Life Steal power, giving power instead of taking. I was trying to give you the other elements of Light, Arc and Void. You have Solar, obvious by how you wielded the Hammer of Sol, but to become a full Titan, you need the other two. I successfully gave you Arc and Void, but Solar seemed to cause a reaction between us." Keith raised his hand to his chin, his mind not able to understand it. "But why did our Light react like this?"

"How do you not know what went wrong? You're the guy who knows what he's doing!"

"Partially. Not every Warlock is 100% sure on every single action. Some believe they are, only to blow up shortly after."

"So you could have killed both of us with that?!"

"…No?"

Issei looked at Keith, his eyes rolling back before he fell over, passed out on the ground.

Asia saw this and kept healing him, even trying to heal him faster than she was capable of.

"Issei! Issei!"

"Oh dear… perhaps I should awaken him." Keith brought his hands together before pulling them apart, Arc lightning coursing between both of his palms as he walked towards Issei.

Almost instantly, Issei shot up and jumped away from Keith.

"No, no! I'm up, I'm up!" He yelled at Keith, waving his hands in front of him.

Keith showed no change in expression as he pulled his hands further away from the other, flicking his wrists as his Arc lightning was dispelled. He nodded towards Issei before turning around.

"I do hope you have good luck talking to your parents about letting her stay in your household."

"Yeah yeah…" Issei said before he realized what Keith just said, turning towards said Warlock. "Wait, what?"

"Farewell, young Titan." Keith said before he left.

"Ok… I don't like him."

"B-But Mr. Keith is a good guy! He t-took care of me when I was with the Fallen Angels!"

"Asia, he just electrocuted me, made me lose my senses, and burned me from the inside out before exploding on me. I think I have to right to say I don't like him."

His shoulders slouched downwards as he sighed, a bit annoyed and also bitter because of what Keith did. He looked at the Boosted Gear on his left arm, curious about how he puts it away.

The moment he thought of that, it disappeared. He gave a light chuckle, supposing he knew how to put it away, but he still had no clue how to summon it.

"Um… Boosted Gear?" He said with an unsure tone, only for his arm to be covered in the red light again as it appeared. He gave a light 'oh' in response, thinking of putting it away again as it disappeared. Again.

' _Least I know how to have it appear and put it away… somewhat.'_

"Um… Issei? What… what do we do now?"

He shrugged his shoulders as he looked at her, himself not sure of what they could do.

"I don't know… arcade?"

"What's an arcade?"

"…Oh boy…"

* * *

 _Scene Transition…_

* * *

'Was it a smart idea to leave her with him? I mean, we don't know too much about Hyoudou. I'm sure even your cousin doesn't know too much about him.'

"Of course Saka doesn't know much about a teenage boy who has no relation to him. If anything, I'm surprised Saka even knows his name considering Saka used to be such a quiet man. Now he talks a lot more than what few words he used to say."

'Isn't that a good thing? You know, him coming out of that shell he's been in since he became a Hunter?'

"I don't know… his silence was something I grew rather fond of."

'Whatever you say.'

Arashi ceased his speaking as Keith nodded, acknowledging his Ghost's words as he walked down the street.

He looked up and towards the sky, the partially cloudy blue yonder above him as he couldn't help but admire it. He had grown fond of nature itself when he was not being short at or being rushed at by either a Knight or Minotaur. Or Thrall.

He hated Thrall. He actually felt appalled by how mindless they were, their stronger forms often referred to as Ogres being something he felt disgusted looking at. Not because of how hideous they were, but because of how neither of them could even use the thing they call a brain.

Even their Taken counterparts were more intelligent than them, and their wills have been broken and their bodies made of nothing but solid Blight.

He sighed as he let his mind wander again, a bad habit of his that formed a week after becoming a Warlock. He does not regret becoming a Guardian, actually grateful he was given another chance at life at the cost of his memories.

It was only thanks to his cousin he remembered his own name, something he cannot live without.

He kept himself walking, not a care in the world about anything at the moment. He would have to say he did like this feeling, the peace this time had compared to his own. But, alas, peace will not easily be obtained back home. Even if he and Saka manage to return, they will only return to a one sided war, fighting until the end of their lives.

His hand reached up and took off his glasses, the other pulling out the cloth he uses to clean them as he wiped the lens of his glasses. His grip on the cloth was actually weak, a gust of wind blowing past him as it took the cloth out of his hands.

His eyes furrowed in annoyance as he put his glasses back on, chasing his cleaning cloth that flew through the air with the wind keeping it above the ground. He didn't move too fast, consuming his stamina at a slow rate as he wanted to get back the cleaning cloth he had grown fond of.

The gust somehow shifted around a corner, making him do the same to continue his chase as he ended up in an alley. He jumped up, grabbing his cleaning cloth before landing back on the ground.

 _'_ _Good… I'd rather not lose her final present to me.'_ He thought to himself before he calmly folded the cloth, putting it away in his pocket.

Strangely, he heard a sound. The sound was a bit muffled, and he didn't recognize the sound at all. Somewhere, deep in his mind, a part of him felt like he's heard the sound before, but he couldn't remember where.

 _'_ _Blasted amnesia…'_ He decided to investigate, partially worried about what the sound may be. He turned to where the noise sounded to be coming from, moving towards it as his hand was ready to grab the first weapon to appear by his side.

Slowly, he made his way further into the alley, the sound growing louder as he approached. His hands tightened with anticipation, his mind beginning to run metal simulations of what could happen the moment he arrives to the source.

Whatever it was, it kept growing louder and louder, sounding to be coming from behind a trash can. With quick speed, his hand grabbed the edge of the trash can, turning around its edge to see…

A jack in the box that just sprang up?

"What in the world?" He looked down at the small toy, highly confused about why it was here before he realized there was a note attached to the back of the box.

He reached around the box and picked up the note, flipping it over to read what it said:

 _Turn around._

"Turn around?" He said with a confused tone, his mind still confused by what was happening before he did what the note said…

Only for a fist to come flying towards his face at full throttle, making direct contact. The attack not only hurt him badly, it also had so much force, it sent him flying straight into the brick wall behind him, the impact of the hard surface on the back of his head becoming too much pain than he had hoped.

His vision turned blurry, looking up to see a figure in a robe walking towards him before his eyelids closed themselves.

"Looks like someone's a little sleepy head~." A voice he did not recognize spoke to him, and it sounded as if the person was enjoying this. His mind began turning silent before he passed out, the head injury proving too much for his Light to heal.

In truth, what was happening was the masked man was prancing towards Keith, his arms grabbing the Warlock's and pulling him out of the wall, only to let him fall straight onto the concrete below. He knelt down and picked up the jack in the box, putting it away in his robe before picking Keith up and throwing him over his shoulder.

"Now that cursed Hunter will have to make a deal with me… his ally's life for my sweetheart~." A magic circle appeared beneath him, teleporting him away with Keith in tow.

* * *

 _Scene Transition…_

* * *

He waited in the kitchen for his microwave to make another bag of popcorn. He hadn't anticipated running through the first bowl so quick before the second movie started, so he went to make more while playing on his phone to pass the time.

He was also humming a tune to himself, entertaining himself before a message popped up on his phone from his game.

"A microtransaction? As if I'd be stupid enough to buy something like that." He closed the window as he resumed his game, only for his phone to suddenly close the game and open the message app. "Hey! I was playing that."

A message suddenly popped up on his screen, from an ID of… blank. There wasn't even a number.

 _"_ _Big trouble, big, big, trouble!"_

He was partially annoyed by whoever was on the other side, but also curious into why the person would send him a message about trouble. He turned his phone to type a message to reply to whoever was on the other end.

 _"_ _Alright, who is this, how do you have my number, and what do you mean trouble?"_

He waited a minute before a message popped up not even a second after, making him believe whoever was messaging him was either a very, very fast texter, or they were already sending the next message.

 _"_ _It's Arashi! I just hacked into your phone service's records and got your number. But like I said, we have trouble! Keith was just abducted!"_

That changed everything. Quickly, he called Arashi through his phone, waiting for his cousin's Ghost to answer. The ringing stopped when he was answered shortly.

"How was he abducted? Aren't you two together?"

 _"_ _We were, but Keith heard a strange sound and went to investigate. It was a trap left behind by someone, and they punched him so hard he was sent flying into a brick wall, hitting his head against it to knock him out in one hit."_

"Jeeze… he should've accepted those lessons I was willing to teach him in close combat."

 _"_ _Not only that, the guy who took him said something about how he was going to force you into making a deal with you, Keith's life for someone he called his 'sweetheart.'"_

"His sweetheart? Who the…" He cut himself off when he remembered the day Kuroka was poisoned, one sentence coming to mind that he remembers an enemy saying.

 _"_ _I'll be back for my dearest sweetie, you bastard!"_

"Son of a… of course it'd be him! Damn it! I should've thought about that!"

 _"_ _Why, do you know him?"_

"Yes! …Sadly. It's a Stray Devil who is obsessed with Kuroka and her sister, Shirone. He wants both of them so he can… well, I don't know what he plans on doing to them, but it probably includes something along the lines of him being obsessed with them a bit too much, almost… almost Mariah obsessed…"

 _"_ _And you didn't inform me or my Guardian because…?"_

"It wasn't relevant at the time. I thought he'd be too afraid to come near me because I showed him my other eye color, hoping my Light would intimidate him… wait, where are you right now?"

 _"_ _With Keith. I can't see anything because his eyes are closed, and I can't hear anything either. I don't want to come out and expose myself, otherwise the man will probably capture me too and try to destroy me."_

"Alright… so I'm down two Ghosts and a Warlock. Kuroka is currently recovering because she can't walk on her own right now, so it leaves just me… but where the hell are you both?"

 _"_ _I… I don't know! I'm not able to find any coordinates at all! It's like we went to another world!"_

"Another world? … Holy… you're both in the Underworld right now!"

 _"…_ _I would have thought it'd be you who goes here."_

"Yeah, yeah. You and everyone else. Look, I don't have the foggiest clue how to get to the Underworld. Kuroka might, but I don't mean to strain her anymore than she already is."

 _"_ _I s…ld've kn..n you'd … that… wait… oh crud!"_

"What, what's happening?"

 _"_ _Los..g… re…tion… different worlds… inter…ing with…"_

The call dropped shortly after, the next thing he heard was the sound of the popcorn finishing in the microwave.

"Crap… damn it… damn it, damn it, damn it! I should've known he wouldn't just give up! He's insane! How could I forget that?!" He slammed his fist against his counter, his skin turning red from impact as he yelled.

 _'_ _He said the Queen would be forcing me into a deal with Keith's life on the line, so he's more than willing to kill him. If he does that, he'll find Arashi and either torture him or kill him right there. If he does that, Keith is gone for good because he doesn't have a Ghost to resurrect him. Ghost isn't here with me either because of our argument, but this? I always felt like the world was out to get me, but who did I piss off to deserve this?!_

 _Keep calm and think right now… I don't have any method of getting to the Underworld because I don't have the foggiest clue into how to make a teleportation spell, much less a magic circle, or if I even have magic at all. Keith's life is on the line right now, and time is ticking… how long do I have is the question… wait… does he have Shirone too? If I do that, I'd be giving him Kuroka too and leaving me with nothing keeping him from killing me._

 _Damn it! Is he smarter than he looks? He's practically forced me into a corner where he can kill me and Keith while also getting both of them. Maybe… maybe if I kill him first, I'd be able to save Keith and prevent him from getting either of them. But I need to get to the Underworld first…"_

"Um… Saka? Are… are you alright? I heard you yelling." Someone's voice brought him out of his mind as he looked up, seeing Raynare standing in front of him.

"No… I'm not. Keith was just abducted and brought to the Underworld. He'll be killed there if I don't give Kuroka to his captor. The only problem is that I don't know how to get to the Underworld."

"K-Keith's been abducted?! B-But how?! He's the Elemental Dragon King of this generation!"

"Having a weapon means nothing if you don't know how to use it. It's the same as giving a swordsman a gun, because he won't have the slightest clue in how to shoot. In this case, giving a Warlock a weapon capable of killing Gods that he doesn't have the foggiest in how to use or the time and place to develop skill with." He told Raynare as he raised his hand to his chin, a pondering look taking over his expression. "The question is how did he know Keith had relation to me. He couldn't figure it out because we both use Light, no… he'd confused one of us for an Angel like Strays I've killed in the past have. No… it's almost… almost as if he's… been… watching… me…"

His head slowly rose up, eyes widening as his mouth was agape.

Raynare looked at him, concerned about what he was talking about before he blinked his eyes, emerald becoming sapphire in a split second.

"Eh?" She was surprised to see his eye color change so quick, but his eyes moved off from her and began darting across the room, moving into the livening. He looked into the top of a corner, seeing a blood red magic circle the size of a camera.

He stood up on one of his chairs, his hand moving up and touching the circle as his Light destroyed it quickly.

"Son of a bitch… he's got cameras in my own house!"

"W-What?!" She was shocked to hear what he said, looking around the room as she focused her magic power into enhancing her eyesight, the faint image of magic circle appearing above one of the cabinets. "He's been watching you?!"

"Crap, crap, crap, crap! How much does he know?!" He grabbed the sides of his head, his hands tightening on his head as panic took over his expression. "Shit… did he see the results of my nightmares? No, I can't reveal myself this soon… but it looks like I'll have to if he knows."

"S-Shouldn't we start looking for the magic circles and destroying them?" She suggested to him as he turned towards her, nodding slightly.

"Yeah… you're right. Go check upstairs. I might have mainly guest rooms up there, but it won't hurt to be sure. I'm checking downstairs." She nodded in response before turning around and leaving the room to head towards the stairs that led upstairs. Saka turned and saw the circle above the cabinets, channeling a small fraction of Solar Light into his finger as he held his hand like a gun, shooting the Solar Light at the circle and destroying it.

He bolted into the hallway, grabbing the door to the room he gave to Keith as he threw the door open, his eyes darting from wall to wall, floor to ceiling as there was not circle in the room.

He turned and moved to the next room, the one Asia was given. He actually grew hesitant to open it, fear that if he walked in, he might see something personal to her. Deciding to say screw his own morals, he went straight into the room, the fearful part of him leaving his body as it looked as clean as the day he brought her in. And again, no circle.

He left the room and went straight into the bathroom, almost immediately seeing another circle on the wall to the side. He moved towards it and jumped, using his Light to destroy it before looking towards the door to the next part of the bathroom.

He went through and saw not one, not two, but five magic circles this time.

A part of him shivered as he was glad it wasn't his bathroom that was only connected to his room and it was the one everyone else can use. But, it also mean't that he's seen whoever bathed in it stark naked… including when Kuroka revealed her true form to him.

And part of him felt even more infuriated on that one than the other cameras.

"Holy crap, the Queen is a pervert… a big one…" He raised his hand, channeling Solar Light again before shooting a fraction of the amount it takes to form Golden Gun and firing at each circle, breaking them into nothing before turning and leaving.

He went to the next room, one he used for storage and saw nothing. Next was an empty room, and no circle inside.

There weren't that many rooms in his house, as it looked smaller outside than it is inside. He moved back to his room, entering and looking around, only for his gaze to move up.

"Are you kidding me?"

"Hm? What's wrong? Don't like your ceiling, nya?" Kuroka spoke to him as he turned towards her before looking back up.

"Look up."

She did and all she saw was the ceiling, nothing special about it.

"It's a ceiling. So what?"

"Try looking for magic circles…"

She raised an eyebrow when he said that before complying, channeling a bit of magic into her sight as she looked up…

Only to see the ceiling was almost impossible to see with how many blood red magic circles were covering it.

"…Mind explaining?"

"Apparently, the Queen somehow snuck into my house and placed cameras everywhere for him to look at you. And he's seen you naked since there were five in the bathroom."

Her eyes narrowed as she looked angry, if not borderline pissed by what he said. She raised her hand at him, using her finger to signal him to come closer as he did, only for her to grab the collar of his shirt and pull him down.

"I want you to teach him a lesson. The only man allowed to see me naked is the one who will become my mate." She said with an angry tone, but she also said something in a low, nearly silent mutter that he didn't hear.

He nodded as she let go of his shirt, letting him turn back towards the ceiling and raise his hand into the air, this time channeling Arc Light into his hand as he fired once, letting the natural effect of Lightning take its course and have it chain through the circles, breaking each one almost instantly.

Once the ceiling was clear, both of them looked around the room as she looked high while he looked low. They didn't see any more than the ones that were on the ceiling as Saka went into his bathroom. Inside, he saw nothing but the tile lining the lower half of the walls and floor and the shower was left untouched.

"I think that's all…" He said was his eyes began to regain their emerald shine, blinking a bit as he had them open a bit too long as dust had gathered on both of them. He rubbed his right eye as he turned back towards Kuroka, herself turning towards him.

"Now, mind telling me what's happening?"

"A few things… and I suggest recording the next movie so we can watch it later, since this may take a bit of time…"

* * *

 _Scene Transition…_

* * *

Her eyes hurt. She doesn't remember how long she's been doing it either.

She was more surprised her eyes haven't dried up yet or she's cried herself to sleep. She was curled up, holding onto her legs as she had soaked the top half of her uniform.

She no longer knew what to believe. Should she believe her master, the person who helped her after her sister's betrayal? Or should she trust the person who did betray her, the person who calls herself her sister despite how she left her for dead.

But now, she knew. Her parents died of illness, yes, but not naturally. They were poisoned by the master of the peerage her sister was part of.

She would have preferred it if she had never known. She would have lived a bit more happy had she not known of the cause of her parents death.

She tightened her hold on her legs, her face almost impossible to see had it not been for the fact her bangs did not cover the sides of her face.

Her crying, however, began dying in time, becoming no more than soft, sad whimpers that took away whatever joy anyone had when they heard them.

That joy, however, was not with the figure in front of her. She hadn't even realized someone had been standing in front of her for the past few minutes.

The figure knelt down in front of her, their hand touching her shoulder as she instinctively reacted by flinching and pulling back, her eyes coming from her legs as she looked at the figure, seeing the shape of a woman in front of her.

"…Auntie?"

* * *

Don't have much to talk about in the lower area. I'm somewhat seeing this as a good thing. I guess I should mention now my Hunter is about 397 or above now, since I'm getting 400 gear. So yay, I got into the higher area in less than two months compared to how it took me nearly a year to get my first 335 piece of armor back in the Taken King. Rise of Iron feels a lot easier to play compared to the Taken King.

Is it because Oryx was annoying, or the Splicers manage to give me a challenge? Meh, I don't really care. I'm killing them, they're giving me loot. All's good in the life of Destiny.

I guess I should also mention I noticed something about an exotic and had a friend laugh when I told him about it.

Everyone remember the Transversive Steps for the Warlocks? Well, on the knee pads is a symbol. This symbol is the loading screen symbol you see in the bottom corner. I said it must be there since it took Bungie long enough to put the boots in the game.

If that made you laugh, yay! If not and you already no, oh well.

Farewell, and let us meet next time.


	15. Chapter 15

Well... nothing really new. All that I really have to say is that I feel like the Clever Dragon is much more useful than the Steel Medula~, so I got rid of the Raid pulse in favor of the Iron Banner one. The damage and fire rate for the Steel Medula~ wasn't living up to what I had hoped, so I went for the more dangerous and powerful pulse.

Well, time for some reviews!

Reviews:

 **Jebest4781:** Thank you

 **LeMarker:** In my view, they are. Let us remember back in the old, old days of year one where Hunters ruled the Crucible. Remember that? Yeah... and no, I did not base that off Crucible entirely. Hunters are of the more dangerous form of Guardians because of how they are practically loose cannons who follow their ideals and live up to the expectations they set for themselves. There aren't that many orders for Hunters because of how we belong in the wild, but we are forces not to be trifled with. Should someone interrupt our hunt, we have a certain bow we'd like you guys to meet.

Issei's girls:

Asia: 17

Irina: 7

Koneko: 4

Akeno: 3

Ravel: 2

Xenovia: 2

Le Fay: 0

Did... did someone TAKE their vote back from Ravel? Is... is that even possible? The only logical thing I can think of for this happening is one of her voters deleting their account, but... how?

I guess onto the chapter.

* * *

Chapter 15: Fall of a Queen

* * *

"You know… I always knew I'd be going to Hell… but… this is not how I was expecting it to look."

He looked up at the oddly purplish-blue sky above. He looked back down at the lush land beneath his feet, healthy flora growing everywhere with trees the size of Jumpships. He took a deep breath, fresh air traveling through his body and into his lungs as h breathed out.

"…There is a lot less fire than I anticipated. And torture. And suffering. And eternal sorrow… and I expected a lot of Devils everywhere torturing the souls of the damned… Are we sure this is Hell and not some Alternate Earth?"

"Yes I'm sure. You act like you've never been to Hell."

"That's because when I died the first time, I was stuck in an endless void of darkness. There wasn't a bright light or a dark door… just a void of nothing but endless darkness. And it was cold… so, so very cold…" He shuddered at the memory of the time he spent in a dark void, feeling a shiver run down his spine.

Dying was such an annoying thing to deal with. One of the cons of being a Guardian he guesses.

He tightened the Vex plating on his left arm, securing it firmly against his bodysuit underneath as he tapped the tip of his boots against the ground, ensuring they fit perfectly and had no chance of falling off with the Vex plating on top.

"So… any… any clue where he could be holding Keith?"

She turned around and looked at him, a frown and pair of furrowed eyes pointed towards him.

"What? I've only been in the corridor and the room you were held in. I don't have a clue about how the building looks."

"Then look forward."

He was confused by what she mean't as he looked forward, seeing a large mansion that has been covered in numerous vines and other vegetation, some walls either cracked or broken as almost all the windows have either fallen out or are almost there.

But between them and the mansion was a large area that looked as if it was once a garden, if not for the dead plants littering every inch with the remains of an iron gate laying on the ground.

"… Are High class Devils rich, or…"

"He made a fortune off using me in Rating Games."

"Rating Games?"

She didn't say anything about his question as she stepped over the gate, calmly walking through the former garden. He sighed slightly as he followed, his hand rubbing his neck as he missed his cloak.

* * *

 _Earlier…_

* * *

"So what if your cousin is captured? He can handle himself can't he?"

"I would hope so, but he's been knocked out cold. That, and neither of us have any clue how to get to the Underworld and back. Remember, the first exposure I had to anything Supernatural was a few months ago when I first came to this time and fought a Stray that mutated into a tree monster."

"And? It's your cousin in danger, I don't need to help, nya."

"…There is a chance he has Shirone. Remember, she ran off and used a magic circle to teleport away."

She stared at him, a look of concern but also worry on her expression.

"In case you don't remember, I can't walk without falling over."

"…I think I have a temporary solution to this…"

"And that would be?"

He pulled the blanket off her, his hands hovering just over her legs. She raised an eyebrow in confusion to what he was doing, partially curious into what it was before she felt a sharp, electric shock entering her legs.

She winced in response, her legs coming straight to her main body as she glared at him.

"What the hell was that for?!"

"Try walking."

"Why? So you can watch me fall onto the ground? I'd rather not humiliate myself further than I already have. Unlike you, I have some pride in myself."

"Yes, I get it. Pride and all that crap. I have my own, but I know when to throw my pride away. Just try walking. Hell, just try standing on your legs for all I care."

Her glare didn't change at all. If anything, it may have intensified. Despite this, she moved her legs towards the edge of the bed and pushed herself off the soft mattress and onto the carpet below.

She stood up perfectly fine, a bit surprising but not too much. She took a step forward, nothing too different. She took another, and another.

She still stood perfectly fine, her legs not feeling wobbly at all. She took a few more steps, this time a bit around the room.

"…What did you do to my legs?"

"I gave them a small, electric shock, restarting the muscles for a limited time. The Arc I used to stimulate them will run out in an hour or two. Afterwards, they'll slowly start going numb again."

"…Give me my kimono."

"Thank you."

* * *

 _Now…_

* * *

He pushed against the large, wooden door that has long since been covered in vegetation, pressing his shoulder against it as he used all his might to push the door. Slowly, the door began screeching open, the vegetation surrounding it snapping from their roots and falling to the ground and on top of him.

He brushed the remains off his shoulders and helmet, his H.U.D. illuminating the interior as he looked into the darkness that was the inside of the mansion. The three glowing eyes of his helmet also glew brightly in the dark rooms inside as he looked around the room.

Nothing was there but dust, cobwebs, and the occasional rat that would run across the floor.

"Do you know of anywhere he might be holding Keith?"

"How would I know? He had so many secret rooms in this house, I lost track."

"Wonderful… just another moment I regret arguing with Ghost."

They stepped inside, the wind blowing in from outside and pushing the dust. He reached for the handle of his sword, keeping his hand within grabbing distance as he walked through.

Above, a rat was chewing on a chain. This rat, however, had a very powerful bite as it was chewing through the chain like it was string. It chewed through the link, the weight of the chandelier it held growing too much for the now weakened chain as the link snapped, the rat latching onto the chain that hung from the ceiling.

The chandelier fell from where it once hung, crashing into the ground in front of them as it released a small wave that shook the ground slightly. It left behind cracks as both of them blinked, getting the dust out of their eyes that flew into them.

He looked up to where the chain was, seeing the rat climbing the chain and entering a hole at the top as it escaped into the ceiling. He sighed, missing how rats were dead after the Collapse.

They turned and looked at each other, his eyebrow raising as she shrugged. He sighed again, looking around this time for a door, a few around them.

"Do you know of any dungeon like areas?"

"The only one I know of is mine."

"You know where it is?"

"No… they drugged me before locking me in there."

"Wonder-fucking-ful."

They walked through the first door they saw, entering the remains of a hallway. He took out his sword, Solar fire covering the blade as it illuminated the path in front of them.

The sound of their footsteps reverberated against the crumbling walls, bouncing back into their ears as they paid the sound no mind.

Doors were laying against the ground as they stepped over them, making their way through the hall.

Behind, something was moving through the darkness behind them, tailing them as it rose up, two dark red eyes watching them before sinking back into the dark. Neither knew it was behind them, and it used this to its advantage by rising up again, this time in a stream of darkness up and onto the ceiling before following again.

They came to the end of the hallway, seeing an open room where the wall in the back had fallen and a pile of bricks on top. He looked up, checking this time for any rats chewing on chandelier chains, only no chandelier hung in this room.

He sheathed his sword as the fire was extinguished, the light from the windows giving them sight. He walked to the remains of the wall, lifting a piece of rubble as he looked at it, examining it.

 _'_ _Damn… this place might not be able to hold itself with how damaged it is. But three years isn't enough time for damage like this to happen, and it isn't enough time for weathering to destroy it this much. What happened here?'_

Kuroka wasn't even watching him, instead walking to the side of where another wall had crumbled and into a room that once had a bed. She stepped over the remains of the wall, entering the remains of the room as she looked towards the pile of wood that looked to be a dresser at one point.

She knelt down, using her hands to rummage through the wood. She saw the remains of few pieces of clothing, all destroyed and tattered beyond repair as she was searching for something. What she didn't know of, was how the wall that was destroyed was being closed by something.

Her hand brushed against glass, a small cut having formed on her hand as she pulled it away, a small amount of blood finding its way out. She released an annoyed groan, a small, white aura forming around her hand as the cut began closing, the blood going back into the wound as if she was never cut.

She looked to where she had cut herself, finding a broken picture frame with a picture sticking out. She picked up the picture, flipping it over as she saw dust had covered the image, but she blew the dust off and wiped the picture to reveal the image.

A soft smile had found its way on her lips, pulling the picture close to herself.

Outside, Saka dropped the rubble he was examining, turning around to see no one behind him.

"The heck?" He looked up, seeing nothing but ceiling as he looked to the sides, nothing but walls around him. "Kuroka!"

Inside, she heard him yell her name, quickly pulling her kimono open a bit around her bosom as she stuck the picture inside. She got up and turned around, seeing the newly made wall between her and Saka.

"Nya?" She moved to the wall, touching it to find it a bit squishy, but solid. Covering it were many holes, one even the size of her head. "What the hell?"

He heard her voice, looking towards the source as he saw the strange, dark wall. He moved towards it, his hands against the wall. "Hey! Are you in there?"

"Yeah. There wasn't a wall here before, but one just made itself!"

"The wall just made itself? … Odd. Alright, I'm going to try and see if I can cut it, so step back a bit."

She nodded in affirmation, stepping away from the wall as he took his sword back out.

Gripping the handle with both hands in the form of iron grips, he pulled the blade back before swinging. His sword made contact with the wall, but it was immediately bounced back off as if it was rubber, throwing him off balance as he stumbled a bit from how much force he used to hit the wall.

He looked at the wall, a bit confused by what just happened before trying again, only this time bringing his sword further back as he used all his force to swing his blade, cutting straight into the wall. He smirked a bit when he did so, but that smirk was replaced by a gasp as the wall molded around his sword before bouncing it back again.

He fell on his back due to how he used more force than before, pushing himself up as he looked at the wall.

"What the heck… I can't cut it! My sword keeps bouncing back!"

"Seriously? Fine, make me some room."

He listened to her and moved away from the wall. She made a magic circle for herself in front of her, but just as she was about to go through it, the building shook.

Both of them staggered to keep their footing, her magic circle disappearing due to her loss of focus on it the ceiling above him began cracking, a large piece falling from above.

He looked up and saw it, leaping to the side to dodge the rubble falling from above.

"Crap! The building is falling apart!"

"What was the first clue?!"

"We'll meet up somewhere else, till then, just look around!" He had to roll to the side to dodge another piece of rubble from above, his gaze now aimed at the hall they came from. "You have Senjutsu, right? Just use that to keep track of me, and if I come close, call me!" He then ran off to escape the crumbling ceiling from above.

She turned around and saw a door, running out of the room before it could fall down on her.

' _Great… there goes any alone time I can get with him…'_ She thought to herself as a small frown had found its way on her expression. She gave a tired sigh as she looked ahead, seeing some lights flickering in the hall she found herself in.

"If I find myself in a cliché horror movie moment, I'm killing the killer…" She crossed her arms, the sleeves of her kimono hanging over her hands as she walked. As she walked, she could still sense Saka's presence, but it was already a fair distance away.

She decided it would be best for them to find each other again, moving down the hall and towards his presence, but she also shivered slightly as she felt a cold breeze brush against her legs. One of the problems she deals with when wearing her kimono like she does.

* * *

 _With Saka…_

* * *

He slid out of the hallway, the ceiling from it having crumbled behind him as it released a soft quake from the impact. He turned around and looked at where he came from, seeing how it was no longer possible to go back.

"Great… now we're split up." He stood up and dusted himself off, getting the dust off his armor. He looked up to see a few more ways he can travel, one that seemed as if it pointed towards the way Kuroka was most likely going.

He pulled his glove up as he tapped it, a screen appearing in front of him as he began taping holographic icons in front of him, finding a slot named 'weapons' as he took out his Fatebringer. He also looked at his arsenal, seeing just how limited he was on weaponry since he came here.

"Should've brought the better stuff with me to the Vault…" He looked to the corner of his H.U.D., seeing he had a fully loaded hand cannon with plenty of extra bullets. He spun his trusty weapon in hand before putting it in the holster he has on his hip.

He closed the menu in front of him as he took the first door to his right, stepping into the hall. He was met by another dark hallway, turning around to see the way back was closing behind him.

He made no attempt to run back as he sighed.

"Ghost, some light please?"

…

…

…

"…Right… forgot." He tapped his glove, his helmet disappearing in a quick flash of light as his eyes changed to blue again, his eyesight looking through the hall as if the sun were behind him. A cold breeze brushed past his face, a small shiver finding its way down his spine.

He looked around the hall, seeing the cracks, holes, and even mold that has formed on the remains of this building.

"The Hive had scarier…"

He turned his focus back to down the hall, but he heard the soft sound of a splash. Looking down, he saw he had stepped in water. He looked to the side to see pipes have long since been covered in rust and some have even broken open, their contents spilling down and onto the ground to flood the lower level.

He couldn't really care about faulty plumbing since the mansion has probably long since been abandoned when her master died, or because of them, was killed.

He yawned, feeling a bit of sleep inside his system, but he ignored it for now. He lifted his arms up to his eyes, rubbing both of them to get rid of any sleep he has as he opened them again…

Only to see he was no longer in a hallway that was falling apart, rather, he was in a perfectly fine hallway that looked like it was finished yesterday and lined with pictures, clean carpet underneath him with perfectly fine, functioning lights above.

"What the hell?" He looked at where he was now, very confused about what just happened before he felt skin brush against his leg, but cloth also touching his hand. Looking down as he saw his armor was gone and he was in his sleeping attire, the same clothing he wears when he stays home.

"What the double hell?" He felt the shirt that covered his torso, feeling silky smooth fabric with a very soft material. It truly felt like the shirt he wears when he sleeps or stays home.

He turned to his side to see a picture that had a reflective surface, seeing himself. But, the picture was what confused him.

The picture was of him, the current him in his late teens as he was sitting in a chair with what looked like Kuroka sitting on his lap with her arms around his neck, kissing his cheek as a small boy with black hair like his was sitting in her lap.

"What the fuck?" He most clearly remembers her never kissing him, nor has she ever sat in his lap. And he most definitely does not remember having a kid that looked like a younger him.

He was very, very confused by the picture before he saw the picture him had a ring on his left hand. He looked down at his own left hand to see he had the exact same ring on his ring finger.

"What… the… hell… But I'm single! I haven't even had a girlfriend, much less a wife! Heck, I don't even remember a wedding!"

His hands shot to his body, feeling it to see if he was actually in another body. The legs still felt firm, his arms still thin but strong, and his torso hard but firm. His hands moved into his dark hair, feeling each of the silky strands that made his messy black hair as his emerald eyes looked at the reflection.

He was himself, but he doesn't remember anything like this before.

He looked at his palms, trying to understand what was happening before he heard movement. His head shot to his side, seeing a small figure had run around the corner up ahead.

Curiosity getting the better of him, he move through the hall and after the figure at a slow rate. He looked at his hand, seeing his glove had been removed as the secondary form of a ring it has wasn't there either.

He felt somewhat naked without a weapon on him, until he remembered his Shadowshot bow and Golden Gun. Those were two very powerful weapons of Light, and he was glad he could create them whenever. That thought brought some security and confidence back to his mind as he approached the corner, placing himself right against it as he peeked around the corner.

Ahead, he saw a lavishly furnished living room, or some sort of room similar to one with a fire burning in the fireplace, a picture of him in his armor with his sword raised above his head and multiple Guardians behind him hanging over the fireplace. The picture made him look like some sort of general to Guardians, something he remembers never doing due to his more lone-wolf personality in his younger days before becoming a Fireteam leader.

He came around the corner, stepping into the room as he was very, very confused. He looked up at the picture of himself, his mind unable to comprehend what he was looking at.

"Papa!" A young voice spoke from the side, making him turn towards the source to see the boy he saw from the picture before running at him and wrapping his arms around his leg.

Saka looked down at the boy, his mind trying to register what he just heard.

 _'_ _Papa? …Wait… I'm a father?! Who is the mother?!'_

He looked at the boy, his level of confusion skyrocketing as he remembers never having a kid, much less one who looks to be seven already.

"Um… hey… buddy." He spoke to who he guesses was the son he doesn't remember ever having. The boy looked up at him, two bright green eyes looking up and at his own.

"Papa! Will you teach me to shoot today?"

…

…

…

 _'_ _WHAT?!'_ He screamed inside of his head the moment he heard what the boy asked him.

Did he promise to teach a little kid how to shoot a gun?! Whoever the kid was, he was sure he wasn't his, and he knew for a fact that if he did have kids, he would not teach them how to shoot a gun at the age of seven. Maybe when their teens, but seven?!

Now he had to come up with an excuse though to get out of this situation… and luckily, he felt like he knew just the one.

"Sorry… but… I- Papa can't today… He has a bad headache right now…"

"Then Mama can help!"

"…Mama?"

"Yeah! Mama always helped Papa when he had a headache before!"

Part of him was curious into finding out who the boy's mother was, but another part of him was also afraid because he was apparently married to this woman, and he doesn't know who they were, nor does he know the name of the boy.

…And she always helped him when he had a headache before? Does he randomly get a headache when he's older?

"Y-Yeah… let's go to Mama so she can help Papa…" He was very unsure about what he was doing now, his mind no longer able to accept what was happening.

He just hoped that wherever Kuroka was in this mess, she was alright.

* * *

 _With Kuroka…_

* * *

She felt her nose tickle a little before she sneezed. She groaned slightly as she kept moving, ignoring the fact she sneezed as she walked down the hall.

She hardly remembers anything about this place other than the room she was locked in, forced to be his subject for months since she found out about the experiments. She stepped over a part of the wall that has fallen over as she saw an open door ahead.

Being the feline she was, curiosity had gotten the better of her. She entered the room, broken glass to a mirror the first thing she saw.

Her sandals touched the cracked tile beneath her, the echo resounding through the room as she stepped further in. She looked at the wall the glass had fallen from as they were once part of a large, decorative mirror.

She saw the cracked and broken reflection of herself in the remains of the mirror, paying it little to no mind until she saw her headband was a little off. She used the reflection to help her fix her headband.

She smirked briefly when she fixed it, looking around the room. To one side, she saw another door that was partially see through, but whatever was on the other side looked to be a deathly green.

She knew she won't be taking a step in that room as she instead went back out into the hall.

Her sandal made a soft splashing sound when she touched the floor outside, looking down to see water had covered the floor below. She frowned slightly at the sight of the water, now planning not to get her kimono wet.

She looked at the pieces of rubble resting against the floor, most of it still dry as she decided to use those to keep her feet dry should she step in deeper water. Now that she thought of it, would the electric charge Saka put in her legs to get her moving again shock her if she got her legs wet?

She'd rather not find out, so she kept to the rubble lining the floor to avoid the chance of a potential shock.

She could sense Saka's presence had come a bit closer, but he wasn't within the right distance. She sighed as she kept walking through the hall, trying her best to avoid the water now.

But then, she felt him stop. She felt his presence stop moving, part of her growing concerned as she raised an eyebrow to why he stopped moving.

Her mastery over Senjutsu also allowed her to sense what he was feeling at the moment, and she could sense… confusion? Now she felt concerned about him, turning towards his direction.

However, he began moving again, but she could still sense his confusion, but now he had caution. She decided to move faster, moving down the hall faster as she tried to find him.

* * *

 _With Saka…_

* * *

He followed the boy as he really felt like his head hurt. Maybe he did get a headache because of what he was seeing, or maybe what he was seeing was giving him the headache.

Either way, he had a headache.

The boy led him through the building until they came to a door. The boy opened the door and walked inside, a figure seen inside as the boy almost ran inside and towards the figure.

"Mama!" The boy jumped towards the figure, who was apparently his mother as she turned around and held him.

"There's my little Kuro…" She spoke to him as he recognized the voice.

He saw the figure more clearly, seeing their long, black hair that covered her back, the elegantly woven black nightgown she wore with her curvy body. But the moment he saw the two black cat tails swinging behind her, his face lost a little color.

 _'_ _Ok… I can clearly remember never marrying her.'_

She stood up and turned around, her hazel orbs seeing him as he saw a smile find its way from her lips.

"Now… what problem does my Hunter have?"

He felt a nervous gulp travel down his throat, his mind incapable of understanding what was happening anymore before he felt a sharp pain travel through his head briefly.

He winced when he felt the pain, his hand grabbing the side of his head as both of them looked at him with concern.

"Another headache? You've been getting so many of those lately…" She rubbed her son's head before walking over to him, placing herself no more than a few inches away. Her hand found its way up to his head, moving the hair out of the way of his forehead as she leaned upwards and kissed his forehead.

He could feel the blood rushing to his head, but he didn't know what her reaction would be if she saw his blush. He proceeded to try and force his blush down with his will, hoping it would not form. But for some reason, he could feel his headache weakening, soon disappearing.

It was at this point he could no longer understand what was happening.

She lowered herself back to her feet, standing directly in front of him with her smile.

"Better?" He nodded. "Good… now come on Kuro, let's give Papa some time for his head to feel better."

"But Papa said he'd teach me how to shoot…"

 _'_ _I never said such a thing!'_

"Papa will teach you another day… whenever he doesn't get a headache everyday…" She took their son out of the room, leaving behind Saka.

He stood there, his mind trying to restart as his hand found its way to his forehead. He felt the smooth skin that was his forehead, wiping it as he didn't understand why she just kissed him.

He fell down and sat, trying to give his brain some time to think and restart. However, another painful pulse came from his head, causing him to wince in pain again as he held onto his head.

"Ittai nani ga okotte iru no? (What the hell is going on?)"

"Those headaches of yours must be really painful if you're speaking your first language again." A very familiar voice spoke to him as he looked to the source, his eyes partially widening in shock.

 _'_ _Ghost?!'_

Ghost looked down at Saka, and if he had facial expressions, Saka could've sworn he saw concern on the small mechanical orb of Light.

"So… how bad is it today if a kiss from your wife didn't help?"

 _'_ _A kiss from my wife…? Ghost… you should know better than anyone that I've never even had a girlfriend! I've been single my whole life so far!'_ He looked at what he thought was his partner, but there was something off about the Ghost in front of him. He couldn't point it out, but something about the Ghost in front of him told him that he was not his Ghost.

And he knew just the method how to find out.

"… What's my name?"

"What?"

"What is my name?"

"What kind of question is that? Did your headache give you amnesia like when I first brought you back?"

 _'_ _When you first brought me back…?'_ His eyes narrowed slightly as he kept his stare on Ghost. "Just answer the question."

"Ok… Your name is Saka Hikari."

"Good… who are my parents?"

"Sealanna and Aaron Hikari, a former Hunter and Warlock."

 _'_ _Wrong … my father isn't even Human or Awoken.'_ "What's my birthday and how old am I since my date of birth?"

"…November 23 and you're 28."

 _'_ _Wrong… I was born on December 18. And I'm not 28… I'm 519…'_ "What am I afraid of?"

"Nothing. You're the Child of Light, and you have nothing to fear."

 _'_ _I'm afraid of being alone…'_ "…Thanks… the headache is throwing my mind around. I need to make sure I remember everything properly. I'm… going to go wash my face and cool off later."

"Want me to come with?"

"No… I can manage it myself." He pushed himself up to his feet as he moved to the first door to the side, one he believed to either be a bathroom or closet.

He turned around to face Ghost, lifting his hand up as he gave him a small wave.

Ghost nodded as he flew away, leaving him to himself.

He sighed as he went into the room, seeing it was a bathroom. He saw the mirror that covered the wall, turning towards it as he went to it.

He looked at himself, seeing the full body reflection the mirror gave him as he looked at his reflection.

His hand moved to the side of his head, his fingers finding one of the spots his hair stood out as he could only stare at himself.

Curiosity getting the better of him again, he grabbed his shirt and pulled it off, revealing his torso.

His body build was the same as he remembered, so he didn't change at all physically other than his attire changing. He reached over his back, feeling the bare skin that covered his behind before he felt something… or in this case, nothing.

He turned his body to the mirror to give him view of his back, seeing only light pale skin covering him, not a speck of his scar in sight.

He didn't see the mark he has carried since he became a Hunter.

"No… no, no, no! Four year old scars do not just disappear like that!"

He can't believe that he's saying this, but he wants his scar back. That scar was not only a mark, but a reminder to him about how he became the person he was today, the people he's lost, the fights he endured, and the time he's lived.

He felt the sweat forming on his forehead, lifting his shirt back over him and putting it back on as he then wiped the sweat off his forehead.

His gaze was almost glued to the mirror, wondering just what in the world was happening. However, the image in the mirror began to shift and contort, the area in the reflection changing as the room itself began shifting.

His eyes could not believe what they were seeing, his hands coming up to them both to wipe them…

And he saw he wasn't in the bathroom anymore. People had filled the room he was in, one much more formal as it looked as if it were a party he was at.

He felt an annoyance around his neck, looking down as he saw he was wearing a suit.

"… I… What?" He turned around to try and find the mirror again, only to see it was gone, not even a wall in its place as there was instead a buffet laid out behind him, a plate in his hand that held a fish.

"But… I… don't even like fish…"

He looked up from the plate, seeing everyone in the room as they were all either eating from the buffet behind him, or conversing with one another.

His mouth hung slightly open, truly and utterly confused about what was happening as he felt… afraid. He felt afraid because of what was happening, because he didn't know what was happening at all.

"Oh, you did find some." Kuroka's voice came from his side, turning to face her as she was wearing a dress with her hair tied into a bun.

…He couldn't help but feel such a hairstyle did not fit her in the slightest. The loops she kept her hair tied in looked much better.

"Uh… yeah… here." He handed her the plate as she took it, but she didn't leave as she leaned towards him and kissed his cheek before she did leave.

Around him, some of the men gave him sly looks, some laughing as others didn't even pay attention.

He, however, lifted his hand to his cheek. He felt… nothing from the kiss. It felt as if it didn't happen to him, but he saw it and heard it. There was no emotion from the action, no feeling at all.

"Ah, Saka! There you are!" Another familiar voice spoke to him, this time coming from the buffet behind him as he turned around, his eyes meeting another pair of eyes behind a pair of glasses.

"…Keith?"

"Yes, and I've been meaning to talk to you for a while." He walked up to beside him, his arm going around him and holding onto his shoulder. "You see, Yuuma has been pregnant for a while, and since you've been a father longer than I, I had hoped you would give me some advice before my first son, Kyle, is born."

"Ky… le? Did… did you name him after Kyle?"

"Kyle who?"

"Kyle. Your brother."

"Brother?" Keith smirked a little as he chuckled, a laugh coming from him shortly after before he calmed himself. "You know I don't have a brother. I'm an only child."

"Only child? What happened to Kyle?"

"Saka, there is no Kyle other than my son who rests within Yuuma."

 _'_ _Kyle… doesn't exist? Was… was he not born?'_ "I'm… sorry… my… my headaches are really messing with my memory right now."

"Ah, of course. I forgot you've been getting migraines for the past few months that have been hindering your memory. I apologize, commander." Keith turned around and left him, but the last word he said to him was stuck in his mind.

 _'_ _Commander…? I'm… no, that's impossible! I am not a commander!'_

Now he knew too many things were wrong. Ghost not knowing his age and birthday, who his father really was, his fear, Kyle not existing despite growing up with him. Ghost having come back was also a sign that was wrong as was his, apparently, new rank as commander, but the biggest thing he knew that was wrong…

Was how he was somehow married. He remembers he made the deal with Kuroka, but he knew for a fact that he was not in love, and he most definitely remembers never having a kid.

 _'_ _And I'd never name my first son Kuro…'_

He looked around the room, trying to find a way he can get out of here without too much trouble, but he was no expert in dealing with situations like this.

 _'_ _First things first…'_ He reached around his neck, grabbing the tie that was around it as he tore it off, freeing his neck from its tightness and annoyance.

Kuro saw what Saka was doing, a frown forming on his face as he pointed towards him. Kuroka saw Kuro pointing at him, an annoyed sigh coming from her as she turned towards him.

"I know you said you hated ties, but you should at least wear it to look formal." She stepped away from Kuro and moved to Saka, but he turned and faced her with an angry expression.

"Don't take another step forward." He told her as she stopped, looking at him with shocked eyes.

"Saka, what are you-"

"Don't. I know. Don't think I don't. You are not the Kuroka I know. That man over there-" He pointed towards the Keith that had spoken to him earlier. "-is not my cousin, the same one I grew up with. And that boy-" This time he pointed towards Kuro behind her. "- is not my son. I have no children."

Kuro looked at him, a hurt and fearful face looking at him. Kuroka saw what was happening to him, kneeling down beside him as she held him while speaking softly into his ear,trying to soothe him.

"Mama, what does Papa mean by I'm not his son?"

"Papa just has another headache. His memory isn't in the right place right now, so he forgot us for a minute, but he'll remember soon."

"No… no I won't! I know that this is all fake!" He grabbed the jacket he wore over the dress shirt underneath, tearing it off him as he threw it to the ground. He put his hands into his hair, running his hands over it to make his hair messy again. "I won't do what this place wants me to!" He grabbed the ring on his finger and pulled it off, throwing it out a window as it broke the glass and flew out. "And don't think for a second I believe any of this!"

Everyone in the room had turned towards him, the laughing having died almost instantly as they all gathered in front of him. He could even see the fake Ghost hiding amongst them.

He reached behind him, hoping to draw his blade but he had grabbed nothing but air. He grunted as he stared at the people in front of him, seeing the fake Kuroka walk to the group with Kuro standing in front of them.

"It's not too late… you can accept this and live a happy life…"

"Fuck that… I don't want a life like this! I don't want a life made from lies! This… this may be the life I've dreamed of since I was younger… a beautiful wife to stand by me for the rest of my life with children for us to take care of, peace to live in… but I don't want it to just be given to me! I want to fight for what I dream of! I have to earn it if I'm to be happy with it! And I will fight the whole world with the Darkness itself if it means achieving that dream!"

Kuro only looked at him, his eyes suddenly turning completely black as he spoke, only this time in a much darker tone.

"Then it seems there is nothing we can do for you other than grant you death…"

The group behind him all turned into some sort of black sludge, the fake Ghost, Keith, and Kuroka included as they all melted into a large puddle of some sort of black goo. Kuro sank into the puddle, disappearing into its depths before the puddle began rising.

It rose up and took physical form, the shape of a monster with a black skull made of sludge with blood red eyes.

It opened its mouth, roaring at him as the breath of its roar sent him back, causing him to raise his arms to defend himself. From the sides, the sludge formed two skeletal arms with hands that both rose into the air, coming down for him as they tried to smash him.

He jumped back from the impact zone, the impact generating a gust of wind that pushed him further back. He looked up at the monster, turning his head around to look for a way he can escape before he remembered the window he broke with the ring.

He turned towards it and ran for it. The monster shot its arm out to grab him, but he jump to the side to dodge before jumping forward and out of the window...

Only for him to fall towards what looked like a bottomless pit. He looked down, towards the path he was falling as darkness soon enveloped his form.

He looked over his shoulder, seeing nothing but the darkness behind.

He gave a relieved sigh, turning back to watch where he was falling…

Only to see a dark skull with blood red eyes with its mouth wide open. His eyes became the size of saucers as he tried to turn in the air, preventing his falling from leading straight to the beast.

But despite his efforts, the monster's head shot up, ready to devour him as its gaping maw had already surrounded him.

But before he was eaten alive, he felt sharp pain on his cheek with the feeling of his neck suddenly being released by something.

The first thing he did was move his hands to the spot he felt the pain, feeling cold nano-fiber touching his skin, but also hurting him slightly because his cheek stung a little.

His eyes shot open, the first thing they saw being a room he doesn't remember entering. But the next thing he realized, was his mind registering intense pain in his left shoulder.

He looked to his left, seeing the cause of this pain was because HIS sword was stuck inside his shoulder, impaling him to the wall behind him as blood was sliding down his side.

His vision was a little blurry, so he blinked a bit to clean his sight. He looked back to his shoulder, seeing that his sword stuck in his arm was real, and the pain he felt could vouch for it.

He tried to grab the handle to his sword to pull it out, but it was out of his reach. He tried to stretch his arm, but he felt sudden pain come from his leg, causing him to wince in pain and his fist to curl up.

He looked in front of him, seeing a certain fox mask. He then furrowed his eyes in response, the man pulling his foot off his leg.

"You do recognize me! That's wonderful~! This means you'll know who your killer is~!" The Queen seemed jittery as he jumped a bit, obviously excited by the sight in front of him.

"You… did you… do this?!"

"Hm?" He looked down at Saka, looking at his impalement. "Oh, of course~! I didn't want you to go anywhere, so I took that little knife of yours and stuck it in your shoulder~! You get a first row seat to me and my beloved when I get her~! And when I do, we'll ascend to euphoria together~!"

Saka's eyes furrowed when he heard that, his fist curling tighter as he could almost draw blood if he added anymore pressure.

 _'_ _So I was right… you were going to rape her!'_ He saw the Queen's plan as he could feel the anger building up within him. But, then another thought came to his mind.

Where was Keith?

"Where… where is he?!"

"Hm?"

"Where's Keith?!"

"Oh, you mean the man I took so you'd have to give me my beloved? Since you walked in here, oh so willingly with her, I didn't really need him anymore. Don't worry… I didn't kill him… I only left him in… hm, what was that place again? I think you people call it the Sahara?"

* * *

 _Meanwhile…_

* * *

Crawling over a large sand dune, while also forced into wearing his armor to prevent heat stroke, Keith pulled himself over the dune. The heat still took its toll on his body before he had equipped his armor, but he would survive.

He was breathing heavily, however, from how long he was out in the desert already. His helmet disappeared as a canteen was hanging around his waist, taking it off as he opened it and drank its contents. Cold, refreshing water poured down his throat, helping him maintain himself before he closed it and hung it around his belt, putting his helmet back on.

"Any luck on trying to contact Raynare?"

'None. Your cousin didn't seem to bother with establishing a house phone.'

"Of course he would… are we anywhere close to civilization?"

'No, but we're near the Nile if you need more water.'

"I'd rather not deal with a crocodile right now…"

'…Try a different method to contact Raynare?'

"Please…"

He pulled himself back up to his feet as he slid down the dune, traversing the desert he was stuck in.

* * *

 _Back there…_

* * *

He began giving off a low, audible growl towards the Queen.

The Queen found joy in hearing his growling, instead reaching into his robe and pulling out… a spray bottle?

"No no, bad doggy." He squirted the spray bottle as water flew onto his face. His growling ceased in seconds as his expression was changed to one that said 'really?'

He wiped the water from his face, flinging it to the side as he looked at the Queen.

"…Well, like you said so yourself, you're going to kill me… so, mind telling me how you got me at least? A dead man's last request."

"It was easy, really… all I had to do was release my special toxin in the water in the side you were in. It mixed with the water, creating a special fume that knocks out anyone who breathes it in and causes them to hallucinate until they either wake up, or experience physical pain."

"… Then why did I not wake up when you stabbed my arm?"

"That is a secret~."

 _'_ _Now I feel ashamed for being caught by this guy… Ghost would probably scold me for this…'_

"Now… I wonder… just how should I kill you? Should I slit your throat? Or should I tear out your heart? Maybe I should feed you to the soldiers of the Spider Kingdom as an offering. Oooh~, maybe I should drop you in a tank full of man eating algae. Oh, the possibilities!"

He stepped away from Saka, entering the shadows as he opened a door, leaving him alone in the room with only a single light that hung from above.

He looked up at the light, his mind thinking of what did he do wrong.

Was it wrong of him to really trust Kuroka so easily? Or was it wrong of him to get involved with this situation. Maybe it was wrong of him to even step into the Vault of Glass that day. Or maybe… maybe it was wrong he even became a Guardian.

He cut that train of thoughts off before it could start going downhill, leaning his head against the wall he was stuck against as he was still breathing heavily, the pain of his sword stuck in his arm still burning inside his nervous system.

"Well shit…" He didn't really care if anyone was listening to him anymore, deciding to say screw it and continue talking. "No way I can get out of this one… even if I did, my arm would be useless, leaving me down to one-hand weapons… I can use my sword and a hand cannon, but not at the same time until I heal my arm… and there isn't enough Light in the world yet for me to heal myself. I have royally fucked myself this time…"

He turned his gaze down to his left arm. He tried to move it, but he felt pain the moment he gave that command to his arm. From the blood loss he's had so far, he couldn't even feel his hand, and he barely even felt his forearm.

Ghost was Light knows where at the moment, and he was still back in the Human world, so chances of him finding Ghost to heal his arm were very little over none.

He stretched his arm to reach for the guard of his sword to push it out of the wall at least, but the guard was just out of his reach. His fingers brushed against the guard, but it was too far for him to push it out. He let his arm go limp on his lap, letting it fall down onto his legs as he sighed.

"The end of Saka Hikari… death by an insane Queen to a dead man… Kyle would never let me hear the end of it if I survive…"

He let his head hang, his gaze now on his legs and good arm. He saw the difference in length his legs had compared to his arm, an idea coming to his mind.

He lifted his left leg towards the hilt, his boot touching the guard as he still had room to push. However, with his leg no longer supporting his side, he slumped a little to the left, causing the blade to dig a little deeper into his arm as he winced in pain, letting his leg drop back down to the ground.

He tried it again, this time with his other leg as his boot met the guard to his sword, but he had no room to push this time. And again, due to the lack of support on the side, he slumped a little to the right, causing the blade to dig into his muscle again.

He left his legs against the ground, keeping himself from cutting even deeper with his own sword. His head leaned against the wall again, sweat covering him now as his head shined lightly from the light.

"Fuck me…"

"Hm, maybe I will, nya."

His eyes shot to the side, seeing the air beside him waver a bit before Kuroka appeared, kneeling beside him with a smirk on her face.

"Oh thank the Light… please get me out of here before my wound gets infected…"

"Hmm… why should I, nya?" She asked as she tilted her head to the side, a more playful look finding its way on her face.

"Kuroka, please… not the time for jokes. He could come back any second and he has some sort of… chemical that will make you hallucinate."

"Mmmmm… maybe I will let you free, nya… but what will you give me?"

"Kuroka, I know you're finding joy in this because of irony… but please… at least take the sword out of the wall…"

"Nya, fine." She stood up and walked to in front of him, grabbing the hilt of the blade with her hand as she pulled, but it didn't move an inch. She tried again, this time with more force as he felt the blade cut a little into his muscle again.

He stopped himself from groaning in pain, looking up at her as she used both hands this time to grab the sword. She pulled again, but it was still stuck. Her playful look was replaced by a more annoyed one, trying to pull again as the sword was very stuck in the wall and his arm.

She tried pushing it up to loosen it, but this caused him to stifle a painful grunt as he began tapping the ground, signaling for her to stop. She stopped and let it go back to the first position, this time pushing it down. She accidentally cut into his muscle with the edge, drawing more blood as he was tapping the ground more furiously this time.

She let go of his sword as it went back to the first position again. She let out an annoyed huff, grabbing the sword again as she pushed it deeper.

This caused the edge to continue cutting into his muscle, sending more burning waves of pain down his nerves as he grabbed the sword himself, stopping her form pushing it any further than it already was.

His face showed just how much pain he was really in, his fist tightening even further as the fiber making his glove was almost ready to give out and break open and let his fingers dig into the skin of his palm. He would do the same with his left arm had it not been for the fact he couldn't feel most of it anymore.

"Ok… just… d-do you know of anything else… you can do?"

She looked up, a thinking look taking over her expression before an idea came to mind. She held her hand in front of his wound, a magic circle appearing in her hand. From it, a soft, blue aura came from the circle and covered his wound.

He could feel sensation returning to his arm, a tingly feeling forming within his fingers as he could make slow movement with each digit again. He slowly curled his hand into a fist, but released it due to how weak his arm still was.

"Wait… won't this make the pain even worse because I can feel my arm again?"

"Depends… how good are you at dealing with pain?"

"Does being shot at and taking bullet wounds count as pretty good?"

She nodded as she grabbed his arm by the shoulder, a strong grip holding onto him as he realized what she was doing.

"Woah, woah, woah, wait! You're not going to pull my arm off from the wall, are you?!"

"If I did that, I'd tear your arm off… I'm going to do something else."

She took a firm hold of his shoulder, applying a small amount of pressure as his shoulder slid down the blade, his wound letting more blood pour out as he had to stop himself from making pained noises.

He felt his shoulder meet the wall, perfectly against it as he was taking deep breathes, trying to keep his body calm and not go into a state of shock. She took her hands off his shoulder, looking at her now bloody hands with a partially annoyed look. She made a pair of magic circles that went through her hands, cleaning his blood off her as there wasn't even a drop left.

Before she could start the next part, a force had grabbed her by the back of her kimono, pulling her away from him and against the wall on the other side of the room with two blood red magic circles appearing behind her wrists, chains wrapping around them as a certain someone rose their foot and kicked the handle to his sword, driving the blade deeper into the wall as well as cutting deeper into his arm.

He couldn't stop himself this time as he screamed in pain, the pain even worse than before because he could feel his arm again as his hand shot to his shoulder, clenching his damaged part as blood began pouring out again.

"Now, now, now… my dear, you can't free him just yet… the only freedom he'll ever be getting again will be the sweet release of death…" The Queen walked to Kuroka, his robe having been removed to reveal the dark red shirt he wore with the matching pants. His mask was also gone, revealing a face with a scar over one of his eyes, one a pale red as the other was a deep red.

He stood in front of her, his hand finding its way to her cheek as he cupped her cheek. He stared into her eyes, a look of anger from hers directed at him as this somehow seemed to please him.

"Yes… those are the eyes I remember that day… the hatred, the anger you felt towards me and him! Oh, how I missed that look so much…" He licked his lips in a perverse manner, his tongue seeming to have been split into two near the end like a snake. "How I've dreamed for this day! The day you and I are reunited, free to do as we please! While I am sad- no, furious!- to admit that our dear little Shirone won't be able to join us… That wench who serves Lucifer had found her before I did…"

When both of them heard that, a very small sense of security came back to them. He felt it because that was one less thing he had to worry about, as she felt it because her precious little sister was safe from him.

Herself, on the other hand, was not as safe.

"While it is… tragic she won't be able to join us, you mustn't fret for now we are together! Now, not even the Gods can stand between us and our love!"

"Sorry to tell you, but your love is a little one-sided, bastard!"

The Queen turned around to face him, an evil grin finding its way on the side of his mouth.

"But of course, do not think for a second I have forgotten about you, you meddling Hunter! I believe I have come up with the perfect way to kill you! I shall rip out your vocal cords and your tongue before feeding you to another Stray!" He told Saka as he seemed to hold pride in himself for coming up with that idea. However, a wondering expression took over as he looked to ponder briefly. "Ah, no… I cannot do that… if I did, I wouldn't be able to hear those beautiful screams of pain from you… perhaps I'll rip out your vocal cords after you die and deliver your disgusting corpse to a Stray after I hollow it out and hang your innards as decorations!"

That made him throw up a little in his mouth. HIS insides used as décor? That image disturbed his stomach slightly as he could feel the faint taste of vomit forming in the back of his throat.

"But don't worry… I'll let you live long enough to witness me and my beloved become one by the end of tonight. So feel honored you watch as the start of our love blossoms into beauty!"

Kuroka was not liking what she was hearing. Seeing his hand still on her cheek, she turned her head as she bit down on his thumb, her oddly cat-like fangs digging into his skin and drawing blood as he pulled his hand away from her cheek.

He turned around to face her, seeing her spit out the blood from his thumb before she hissed at him, revealing the two fangs at the top of her mouth.

 _'_ _Note to self… do not muffle her with my hand.'_

The Queen looked enraged to see her having biting him, raising the back of his hand as he slapped her.

"You little bitch! You should feel honored I have chosen you as my sweetheart! You should be grateful I feel this way about you! What do you have to say for yourself?!"

She lifted her head to look at him, a sly smirk pointed towards him. "I'd say I would sooner have sex with the man whose shoulder you've stabbed against the wall."

…

…

…

 _'_ _Was… was that a compliment?'_

"My dear… perhaps you need a reminder about who I am. I am the Queen of Arundel Malphas, the last member of the great Malphas Devil House who has died years ago!" He turned to face her again, grabbing her by her neck to force her to look at him. "And this day will be the day I turn you into my bride!"

Both of them glared at him, fury building within Saka as anger was still inside of her. She lifted her leg to knee him in the area between his legs.

He didn't even seem to register the pain between his legs, instead forcing himself on her as he placed one of his legs between hers and prevented her from using them again.

She felt the chains keeping her arms where they were as it felt like she had cuffs restraining her hands. Despite this, she tried to wriggle her arms free, intent on clawing him now as he was trying to force her arms out of the spell that restricted them.

His hand had found its way to her waist, climbing its way up her body before he saw her large bosom.

"I was right to assume you had grown larger… but perhaps… I should teach you a lesson-" He had grabbed her left breast through her kimono, twisting it as it pain into her body from having a sensitive area like that hurt. "-about who is in charge…"

"Get your grimy hands off her! She isn't yours!"

"She is mine! She is mine, and no one else's! I had placed those circles in your house to ensure you would not touch my beloved, for if you had, I would have killed you that very day!" He had turned to yell at Saka, but this gave Kuroka a window.

She took that window to move her head towards him, biting his nose in revenge for the pain he did to her chest.

He yelled in pain, pulling himself away from her as his nose was bleeding, blood dripping off it as he turned and glared at her.

"You little wench!" He brought his fist back as he aimed to punch her in the head, but she had moved her head to the side before biting down on his wrist, her feline fangs piercing his skin and drawing more blood as he screamed in pain.

Saka was forced to watch this happen as he had to admit. Kuroka had tenacity, and she looked to be very intent on not letting him have his way with her.

 _'_ _She won't be the only one who can fight… I need my revenge too.'_

He turned to the sword stuck in his arm, a thought entering his mind as he feared it. He feared what he was planning to do, but what would happen afterwards being something he knew he would never forget.

 _'_ _It's either this, or he gets smart and knocks her out to rape her… well, I have two for a reason, so screw it!'_

He grabbed the blade to his sword, the sharp edge cutting into his glove and drawing blood as he pushed it down. The edge cut through his muscle, finding the spot right between the bones and the joint muscle.

Without a second thought, he pushed himself up while also pushing the sword down as it cut through his joint, disconnecting his arm from his shoulder. He yelled in pain, his teeth grinding against themselves as his grip on the blade tightened. He pulled harder, blood pouring out of the wound now as his body began pulling away from his arm.

Muscles were being stretched beyond their limits, the tendons holding his arm beginning to rip and break as his armor had severed the connection to his left arm. And in a second, he pulled himself away from the blade of his sword, his left arm being cut off from his body as blood spurted out from the wound, the newly disconnected arm falling to the floor with a soft thud as blood poured out from the stump.

He screamed again as his right grabbed the spot his arm used to be, his hand setting itself ablaze to burn the wound and prevent himself from losing too much blood, forced to use the wall as support because of his weakened body.

He cauterized the wound, dark red muscle in its place with smoke coming from the stump. His gaze went back towards them, a look of pain, anger, but also determination having been developed on his face.

Both of them saw him, his missing arm the first thing they noticed as he pulled his hand away from the spot his left arm once was.

"Don't you know…? A wolf… will chew off its own leg when trapped… So what's the harm in losing an arm when I have another?"

He wanted to scream so badly, the amount of pain he was feeling incomparable to anything he's ever felt. However, part of him was also terrified.

Terrified because his mind still registered a limb in its place, but confused into why it wasn't making any motion. He felt the ghost of his arm, and that is what terrified him. The fact he still felt the arm he just lost.

He was panting heavily, sweat covering his head as his side was covered in blood, his remaining arm also covered in the familiar red liquid of life.

The Queen looked at him, his maniacal eyes feeling as if they were looking right through him, but he did not waver. The Queen smirked slightly before he began laughing, maniacal laughter bouncing of the walls of the room they were in.

Kuroka was shocked to see him sever his arm from his body so willingly, but amazed to see him still standing despite how much blood he's already lost.

"Oh, this is gold! Pure gold!" The Queen kept laughing as he looked at Saka, pointing straight at him. "You call yourself a Hunter and say you're a wolf?! You're not remotely close to those furry pests!"

"Who said I'm a wolf?" He used his arm to grab his sword, pulling it out of the wall as if it was butter as the edge was covered in his blood. He stepped forward, an iron grip finding its way into his hand despite how weak his body already felt. "I prefer being called a feral cat…"

He held himself up to the best of his ability at the moment, having lost a lot of blood already as the edges of his vision was dark, and that darkness was spreading.

 _'_ _I don't know how long I have… but… I need to make it quick.'_

His eyes turned blue again, fire erupting across his sword in seconds as he flipped it in his hand, switching to a reverse grip. He didn't stop though, as Arc lightning danced across the edge under the flames while Void Light coated the edge, all three elements of Light dancing across his blade.

The Queen felt a cold shiver run down his spine when he felt the presence of his sword, something he never remembers feeling before. Despite this, he turned to face Saka, his hand pulling his venomous dagger out of a magic circle.

"Fine, if you will be this stubborn, I won't grant you the honor of seeing my beloved and I become one. I'll end your pathetic excuse for a life right now!" He dashed towards Saka, his dagger held in front of him as he seemed to have anticipated the first strike, but Saka was too quick for him as he had stepped to his side faster than he was before.

He rose his blade up to cut the Queen, but he used a magic circle to stop the sword just short of him. This, however, did not stop the Light covered blade as it cut through the circle like it was nothing, cutting into the Queen's hip as he jumped away from Saka.

He looked down at his wound, seeing a dark mist pouring out as blood seeped out from the wound. With the mist, he could feel his strength having dropped tremendously, almost as if he was hit by a holy sword.

He snarled at Saka circling the center of the room as Saka kept himself ready for his next attack. His readiness was answered when the Queen made a pair of magic circles, both shooting forth an orb of lightning towards him.

He made no effort to dodge as he instead smirked, the lightning making contact with his chest. The Queen smirked when he hit him, but he saw Saka standing straight, almost ignoring the fact he just hit him.

"I'd tell you how I'm still standing… but I'm not an idiot like you who told me how you captured me." He swung his sword against the ground, the edge scraping against it as a wave of Light was sent gliding across the floor.

The Queen made another circle to protect himself, this one stronger than the one before as he channeled his natural mana into it. However, the Light had proved to be much stronger, shattering his circle before making direct contact with him and dealing devastating damage.

He was pushed back when the circle was destroyed as the Light had hit him with full force, his front side now charred as static sparked off him temporarily. He lost all sense of reason the moment he let anger cloud his mind, jumping towards Saka in a fit of rage.

"DIE!" He screamed before leaping towards Saka who instead readied his sword behind him, raising it up for an uppercut.

The Queen landed behind him, seeming to be perfectly fine as if he wasn't even hit.

Until…

"GAHHHHH!" He held his arm as blood suddenly erupted from his limb, his forearm falling off from his body with his dagger underneath.

Saka turned towards him as he used his knee to force the Queen up by hitting him in the head, turning on his other leg before performing a spin kick to send him into the wall.

Part of him was glad he was dealing with another Stray Devil, his Light a powerful force against them to make the fight short and quick.

He turned towards Kuroka as he swung his sword, cutting the chains holding her arms into pieces as she fell back to the ground, landing on her feet. She grabbed her wrists, red marks in the form of chain links still there as she looked at Saka, a grin forming from the side of her lips before she looked at the Queen.

"I killed the King with your help… want to kill the Queen with mine?"

"Yeah… I think that's fair…" The three elements of Light covering his sword all rose up from the blade, covering his arm as he sheathed the blade.

The Queen shook his head as he looked at them both, anger building within him at the sight of Kuroka free from his chains.

"You whelp! Who do you think you are to stand between me and my sweetheart?!" He got up and was about to run towards him, but Kuroka rose her hand as a magic circle appeared beneath him, chains shooting out from the circle and wrapping around him to restrain him.

He struggled to free himself, screaming and shouting. Saka channeled the Light covering his arm into his hand, raising it into the air before the familiar flash of Golden Gun appeared.

Golden Gun was not the weapon that appeared, rather, it was the same gun as Golden Gun, but it was not coated in the Solar flames of Light, but all three elements of Light. His body was also coated in the three elements.

His head had erupted in Solar flames, burning brightly in the room they were in as Void Light coated his torso and remaining arm, a bright purple aura covering his upper half as Arc lightning danced across his legs, sparking with an intense charge within each bolt.

Kuroka felt the sudden change of power from him, looking towards him as her eyes widened.

"You're-"

"Yes… I am." He raised his gun towards the Queen, his hammer pulling the trigger back as the hammer reeled back, a single bullet all he needed. "And let me tell you this before I send you into eternal slumber… never anger… the Child of Light."

*BANG*

A bullet flew so fast, they barely even saw the trail. A hole was in his head, but that head didn't last long before it began expanding, turning his body into nothing but ash that fell down into a pile against the ground.

His arm fell to his side, his grip letting loose of his gun as it fell, but disintegrated into Light before it could hit the ground. His eyes turned back to emerald, the Light covering his body disappearing as the chains that held the Queen disappeared.

His vision, sadly, was covered almost entirely in darkness. The only thing he could see now being her pearly skin as he looked at her, his eyelids growing heavy as his legs began losing their strength.

"Hey… I'll… see… you… lat… er…" He said to her before his legs lost their strength, stumbling for a second before he fell over. He landed on the ground, his body going limp in seconds as he lost the strength to move.

She looked down at him, shock slowly spreading over her face before she got to her knees and to his side.

"Hey, don't you dare do this to me! I'm a teaser and I'll play tricks, but don't you dare play a trick like this on me! Get up!"

Her voice began losing its volume to his ears as his mind began shutting down. But, he had one last thought come to his mind before his mind was enveloped in darkness.

 _'_ _At least… I got my revenge… for my arm… and stopped him from having her…"_

That was his last thought as his mind had turned off, the heat inside his body feeling as if it left him as he felt cold. His vision had turned entirely dark, nothing in sight anymore as he couldn't keep his eyes open anymore.

He passed out, the coldness inside him taking over as he lost all sensation inside his body.

Now, he didn't know when he'll wake up, or if he'll ever wake up again.

* * *

One thing that has kind of kept me bust the past week was the release of Red Crow in Rainbow Six: Siege.

Yes, I'm a Siege player if I didn't mention it before. I find the game really enjoyable as it keeps me on my toes with every action I do, having to think out my plan and choose my operator wisely since it will affect my plan greatly.

But yeah, another chapter done, over 100,000 words again, and this time not even reaching chapter 25 like last time- I think- to reach that far. But also 155 favorites and 191 followers?

Thank you for supporting the story so far, and thank you everyone else who came to this story after the first one and stuck with me so far despite how it took me months to post chapters earlier this year. Sadly, I won't be able to make a Christmas special chapter this time either since I planned for something special when I do.

Judging by my new writing schedule, I probably will have one done the Christmas of 2017, so I hope you guys get ready for that... in a year... just don't have your hopes up too high please, I'm not that dependable.

And since I know I'm not going to write another full chapter that quick, Happy Thanksgiving everyone! I hope you all have a wonderful day with your friends and family!

Farewell, and let us meet next time.


	16. Chapter 16

Nothing really new. Kind of excited for the return of Icebreaker, but still... nothing really new.

Issei's girls:

Asia: 17

Irina: 7

Koneko: 4

Akeno: 3

Xenovia: 3

Ravel: 3

A three way tie for last. Can't say I've seen to many of those.

Onto reviews:

 **Mikey:** They will. Just not anytime soon.

 **Guest:** No... even though Grayfia is pretty stoic about a lot of things, she didn't.

 **Guest:** Thank you.

 **Jebest4781:** Thank you.

 **LeMarker:** Agility. Snipers. I said Hunters were of the deadlier form of Guardians back in Year 1. With Stormcallers and Sunbreakers, and the multiple buffs and nerfs everyone's supers have gone through, every class is pretty equal now, just some can counter others a lot better.

Onto the chapter.

* * *

Chapter 16: Healing secrets

* * *

He opened his eyes, seeing a swarm of pink petals flying through the air in front of him. He blocked them from entering his eyes by using his arm.

The petals all fell to the ground, covering green grass with pink. He looked up, seeing numerous cherry blossom trees.

He was confused by the sight of so many pink petals, but he saw a blur in the form of black.

"Hello?" He called out to the form, thinking it was Human or Humanoid. Growing curious, he moved to where he saw the figure, walking down a path that was lined with more cherry blossoms.

He didn't remember why he was in a forest full of so many cherry blossoms, the last thing he can remember being… something. He heard voices in the memory, but the image of the memory itself was too blurry for him to remember it properly.

He followed the path, pink petals falling from above and landing on his hair. The contrast in light both had caused the petals to be very obvious compared to his midnight color. He wiped the petals out of his hair as the wind blew against him, causing him to cover his eyes again as another swarm of petals poured forth.

He pushed forward as he ignored the petals, finding his way to a clearing that had something in the middle of it.

He stepped into the clearing, seeing that what he saw was… rubble. Charred, broken, ash, cracks even covering the pavement beneath him as even the grass around it had burn marks. It looked like it was the rubble to a house once, but it looked like it was most likely burned down. To the side, he could see a large river flowing parallel to the rubble.

He was about to touch the rubble to his right, but he saw the black blur again as it went around the rubble.

He turned around the pile to his side to see the figure was standing a few feet away from him, the figure being someone he recognized.

"Kuroka?" He called out to her, thinking she would turn around to face him.

Instead, what he saw was her standing still. Her tails weren't even swinging behind her like they usually do when she's in a positive mood- which is very often- and her ears weren't moving at all. She was standing perfectly still, almost like a statue.

He felt worry grow inside of him, stepping towards her before he saw something dripping from the bottom of her kimono and forming into a small puddle.

It was red. Blood red.

"Kuroka? Are you ok?" He asked her, hoping to get a response from her this time as he now felt completely worried.

He held his arm out to her as he touched her shoulder, but the moment he did, her body had gone limp and fell down onto her side, causing blood to pour out of a wound on her stomach from a knife stuck inside with multiple stab wounds.

But the moment she hit the ground, every pink petal in the area suddenly turned pitch black as the sky adopted an eerie dark red glow.

"Kuroka?!" He fell down on his knees beside her, taking the knife out of her stomach as he picked her up and held her with his arms. "Kuroka?! Come on! Say something!"

No words came out of her mouth. The only thing that did were small droplets of blood that had found their way up to come out. He looked into her eyes, seeing pale hazel orbs that were quickly losing their color, just like her skin.

He felt the warmth from her body slowly begin to chill before it felt ice cold. Blood completely soaked her kimono, turning it deep red as it began staining the pants on his legs.

He didn't mean to, but he shook her for some reason he didn't know of. He shook her to try and get her to respond, to say at least one word to him.

It wouldn't work. He didn't even see how her chest wasn't even rising and falling back down, nor did he bother checking her no longer existing heartbeat.

"Kuroka! Kuroka! Kuroka!" He began screaming her name, almost as if he was screaming to the Gods themselves. He held her body in his arms, shaking her still before her body just… disintegrated in his arms, leaving the bloodstains over his body.

He looked at his blood soaked hands and legs, his eyes staring in horror at what he saw.

He suddenly felt a hand grab him by the back of his neck, slamming him directly into the rubble behind him. He groaned in pain, about to get up before he felt something pierce straight through his chest and impale him against the rubble.

He looked up at who or what did this, his eyes widening in horror.

"Guess who~." The Queen stood in front of him again, but… he looked far more grotesque than ever.

Half his face was burned off, revealing the skull underneath with very small bits of flesh left. His remaining eye was bloodshot as the stare he gave Saka sent so many chills down his spine, they made the Arctic feel warm.

He tried to reach behind him for his sword, but he found nothing behind him but the rubble. He looked at his hand to see the ring he had was gone, trying to life his left to see if it was under the blood before he realized he had no left arm. In its place was just the sleeve that hung down over where it once was.

He felt intense pain from the large piece of wood impaling him through his chest, swearing a lung must've been destroyed with numerous ribs broken to pieces as his spine must've been fractured.

He screamed in pain, screaming loudly as anyone within a hundred miles could hear him.

"Now… let me tell you my favorite meal… it's something best served cold…" The Queen reached into his back pocket, pulling out a revolver and pointing it directly against his head. "It's called revenge."

He took the gun and pointed it directly against his knee, pulling the trigger as the bullet shot straight through the bone without a problem as it broke the bone. He pulled the gun over to his other knee, pulling the trigger again as the bullet destroyed his knee cap.

"But I like the appetizer first… something called payback…"

He raised the barrel to his wrist, shooting it not once, but twice. This completely severed the tendons holding his remaining hand to his limb, making it useless now as he wanted to scream again, this time louder, but he didn't want to give the Queen the satisfaction of hearing him scream in pain again.

"It's a shame that payback… is only a small meal."

The barrel was against his head again, the cold steel pressed against his skin. He saw the hammer reeling back as his finger began pulling the trigger before all he saw was a quick flash.

His eyes bolted open, his breathing rapid and panic in his system. He felt a very small amount of sweat on his head, his hand wiping it off as he began to slow his breathing.

To his side, he heard the sound of rapid beeping that began slowing down shortly as it began matching his breathing in seconds. He also felt some sort of weight on his side.

His vision was blurry as he blinked, trying to clear his vision while light shined from above him, stinging his eyes slightly.

The sight of the light hurt his eyes, something he never thought he'd ever say. Despite this, he blinked a few more times, clearing them as his vision returned to normal, but he saw he was in a room he remembers never seeing before as most of it was… white.

A curtain beside him, a pillow behind his head, the needle stuck inside his arm and connected to small sack that looked to be filled with a clear liquid. He turned to the side to see a monitor with small wires leading towards him, all going under the shirt to a hospital outfit that looked to be for patients he was wearing as he felt small pads against his chest.

Now that he got a better view of the room he was in, he saw a majority of everything being… white. White floor, white walls, white ceiling.

Was he in a hospital?

Regardless, the nightmare he just had was fresh in his memory, looking for something to bring his mind off it quickly. He looked up and saw a TV hanging from the wall. To the side and on a table was a remote.

Growing curious, he grabbed the remote and pointed it towards the television, pressing the button that had the symbol for on and off as the screen blared to life.

 _"_ _Nearly three years ago, the Black Cat Kuroka was labeled a Stray Devil for the murder of her master, Arundel Malphas, the last head of the House of Malphas, one of the extinct Devil Households. Since his murder, she was labeled criminally insane because the investigators believed she had become drunk with her power. However, recent recovery of new evidence in the form of a personal journal from Arundel has proved otherwise._

 _He had long been experimenting on not only his peerage, but other members of his household in secret, sending his Queen, who was in league with him, to kill anyone who found out. The recovery of this piece of evidence has brought the case to court, where instead of murder and insanity, it was proven she had attacked out of self defense. With this, the Black Cat is no longer a Stray, but, neither is she a Devil._

 _A known accomplice of her, one Saka Hikari, was the man who had found this journal and gave it to Rias Gremory, heiress to the Gremory household, who then gave it to Lord Sirzechs Lucifer, who brought the case to court and proved her innocence. However, not only that, her Evil Pieces were also removed by this Saka Hikari using an unknown technique, and she is surprisingly still alive and well._

 _Years after Arundel's death, his Queen had attempted to take the Black Cat's sister and the Black Cat herself to unleash his sexual desires upon both. The sister was protected by a well known ally of Lord Lucifer as the Black Cat was protected by Saka Hikari. This is the second time Mr. Hikari had influence in the case, having also been the man to kill the Queen with assistance from the Black Cat. People are recognizing the method he used as the same methods as the Stray Devil hunter that appeared nearly half a year ago, thus leading us to believe he is this hunter._

 _However, he is currently resting in a hospital in the Sitri territory, known for their advanced medical care, as he was found dying at the scene. He would have died had it not been for the Black Cat saving his life by healing him and keeping him alive for as long as she did, as he was teleported to the hospital immediately._

 _It has been nearly a week since that day, and not one word of Mr. Hikari's condition has been spoken outside the building, leading some to believe he has passed away, or is still recovering. Now, onto another subject, the mana output of recent reincarnated Devils has been-"_

He turned off the TV, not wanting to hear anymore as the reporter would most likely talk about subjects he didn't even know of, and he'd rather listen to silence than the news right now. Silence was often referred to as a dear ally to Hunters, but that wouldn't help him at the moment.

 _'_ _So I'm in a hospital in Hell… great.'_

However, what the news reporter said stuck to his mind and replaced his thoughts of the nightmare.

His name was spread all over the Underworld now, and not only did Devils see it, but Fallen Angels most likely did too if they were tapping into the Devil's TV frequencies. Maybe even the Angels if they kept up with Devil news.

Either way, he knew things would get a little harder now that his name was out there. But, on the plus side, he succeeded in clearing Kuroka's name like he promised, so that was one thing he accomplished.

He sighed as he pulled himself up, groaning slightly in response due to the lack of movement he's apparently been having for…

The reporter said it was almost a week since he was brought here, so maybe five, seven days of him not moving? For one thing, he at least got plenty of sleep.

However, his back ached the moment he tried to sit up, wincing slightly as he fell back to the pillow he was resting on.

Has the lack of movement he's apparently been doing for the past few days made some of his muscles experience muscle atrophy? Hopefully, it was only in small areas as he would be annoyed if his legs were affected.

He tried to move his legs, finding it easy to move them as always, part of him thankful he could still walk. He tried moving his arm again, finding it easy to move that limb like his legs.

He then remembered what he did before he passed out… the full image of before appearing in his head this time with all the voices and other sounds, remembering how he had cut his own arm off. He turned to his left, a somber look pointed towards his shoulder before shock began spreading over his face.

He had a left arm again. It looked to be the same as his, the same one he cut off as a sacrifice to free himself and kill the Queen.

He grabbed his shoulder, feeling his arm with the one he remembers keeping as he felt muscle and skin, squeezing it slightly as he could find bone deep inside.

He had his arm again. And it was exactly the same as before, not a single difference.

How?

He looked at the arm, his eyes following it from the shoulder to the hand before a head of black hair obscured the sight of his forearm.

Sleeping on his arm was Kuroka, her arms over his as she was sleeping beside him while in a chair. She had apparently also closed her kimono around her shoulders, hiding her upper half now.

He stared at her sleeping form, a light blush finding its way to his cheeks as he couldn't bring his eyes off her, but another part of him felt grateful that his nightmare was just a bad dream and she was still alive.

She looked so peaceful as she slept quietly on his arm. He had to admit, because this was the first time he was actually seeing her sleeping face, her natural beauty also seemed to be enhanced by a level of cuteness with how she was sleeping.

He had wanted to test his left arm to see if it was real, but now he didn't want to disturb her sleep. He decided he'll test his arm out after she wakes up.

He sighed as he decided it was probably best for him to rest. Losing so much blood and having to cut off his own arm was something he won't be forgetting any time soon, and waking up in response to a nightmare.

He remembered what the reporter said, looking down at her as his hand lifted up from his side and moved to his chest, feeling the beating of his heart, a sign he was alive and well.

She had kept him alive long enough for him to be brought to a hospital, somewhere he could be saved.

 _'_ _I guess now we're even…'_

"I see you've awoken." A person spoke to him as he looked to the side, seeing a girl wearing a familiar looking school uniform walk with a pair of violet eyes behind a pair of glasses.

He sighed at the sight of the girl, his gaze leaving her and finding the window again.

"…So… There a reason why Devils even bothered with healing me? Aren't I a threat to your kin?"

"Your power of light is a very dangerous thing to us, yes. But, you had done many Devils a favor in eliminating so many Strays in the past few months, including one who has been escaping our sights and killing other Devils for the past few years, and even before then. We had trouble finding suitable records that could actually help us with finding your blood type because of how cryptic your records are."

"Huh… well, sorry about that… made only the bare minimum when I made those records… Wasn't really planning on having to cut off my own arm." He shrugged the corresponding shoulder. "Actually… now that I think about it… how do I have my arm again? I cut it off from the joint, meaning I shouldn't even be able to feel my arm right now, much less not be awake this soon if surgery was performed. So really, how do I have my arm again?"

"That would be thanks to the special healing spells taught to doctors in this hospital. They excel at reattaching limbs and giving them function again in little over a day. And no surgery was performed on you. Other than that, you've been asleep for six days. Oddly, once you were exposed to light, your body began healing itself, but it was at a very, very slow pace. Is there any reason to that?"

"…Well, since it was your doctors who gave me my arm, I guess I'll talk. It's a perk of mine that I was born with… when exposed to light, artificial or natural, my body develops a small bit of regeneration, but that really depends on how much damage I took. If it's spread out all over my body, it can take days. If it's in a concentrated area, like a single deep wound on my leg, it'll take maybe four or five to heal, another day or two for the scar to disappear… By the way, when can I check out?"

"Well, you sound eager to leave already despite recently waking up."

"Yeah… I never really liked hospitals. I rarely even went to one, and it wasn't even for my sake since I've always been a healthy kid growing up." He spoke as she remained silent. Seconds later, a thought came to his mind as his eyes widened. "Oh, wait a minute… I'm… I'm not a Devil, am I? No one put an Evil Piece in me when I was asleep, did they?"

"No. At first, many of the doctors believed the only way you could survive was if they had reincarnated you, but when they noticed your slow regeneration, they threw that idea out the window and instead proceeded to healing you and putting your arm back on."

"Oh thank goodness…" He visibly relaxed as he leaned deeper into the bed he was in, a grateful sigh escaping his lips. "But seriously, when can I check out?"

"You'll have a checkup performed on you later today. If they find nothing wrong with you, most likely tomorrow, if not the next day. But is there any reason why you want to leave so soon?"

"Let's just say… the last time I was in a hospital… wasn't exactly the best of memories…"

"I see… I won't delve too far into it should it be a bitter memory to you. All I can say now is that I hope you heal since your work as a Stray Devil hunter is appreciated with how many find their way into Kuoh. Rias and I can't handle all of them, so the additional help is appreciated." She turned her gaze from him and towards Kuroka, lifting her glasses up to readjust them. "I am also a bit curious… are the two of you lovers?"

"No… I… I see her as my friend… I don't know what she sees me as."

"Really? Because during the time you have been here, she hasn't once left your side once. If I didn't know any better, I would say she cared for you." She looked up to the clock in the room as she turned around, making her way to the door. As she opened it and stepped outside, she turned around to face him one more time. "I had almost forgotten to introduce myself. I am Sona Sitri of the House of Sitri, a pleasure to make your acquaintance Mr. Hikari."

"I guess the pleasure is all mine considering your doctors healed me."

"I see. Very well, and I hope the next time we meet won't be inside of one of my family's hospitals." With that, she closed the door and walked away, leaving Saka in the room with a sleeping Kuroka.

Saka raised his hand into air, shaking it a little as he let out a silent victory noise before his hand fell back down to his side.

"Well… least I'm still a Demigod…"

He turned his attention back to the ceiling, trying to distract himself with his thoughts before he remembered something important.

Keith was still in the Sahara desert.

He looked around him for some sort of phone or microphone he can use to contact a member of the hospital staff, seeing his phone on the table to his side as he grabbed it…

Only to find out it was dead. Again.

 _'_ _I really need to start charging this thing…'_

He began looking around again as he put his phone back on the table, hoping to find something he can use to contact the staff. His search was successful when he saw a phone hanging to the side of his bed, grabbing it and pulling to his ear as he pressed a one of the buttons.

 _"_ _Room 603, lobby speaking, how may I help you?"_

"A man with dark blue hair and a pair of glasses is stuck in the Sahara desert right now, and I'd like some people to find him."

 _"_ _Stuck in the Sahara you say? May I ask who is speaking?"_

"Saka Hikari."

 _"_ _Saka Hikari- Wait, aren't you the patient in the room? Hold on sir, I'll be sending one of the available doctors we have to your room momentarily to confirm if you did wake up."_

"Ok, send a doctor, but please look for the man. He is a family member who was kidnapped about a week ago by the Queen of the… Malphas guy, but was thrown into the desert when I arrived at his hideout."

 _"_ _Noted. We will send a search party shortly."_

The lobby hung up shortly after as he put the phone back on the wall, part of him glad and hoping they would send a party to look for Keith.

Now he laid back into the bed as he waited for the doctor to arrive-

But his waiting was short lived when a magic circle appeared in front of him, rising up as a man wearing a white coat appeared from it.

The doctor looked at him. "So you are awake. Perfect." He went around the bed, standing beside him now as he lifted the stethoscope around his neck while putting it into his ears. He placed the diaphragm against his left chest, over his heart. "Okay, your heart beat is normal."

He took off the stethoscope as he took a flashlight out of his coat, using his fingers to open Saka's eyes as he turned on the light and shined it in his eye, causing his pupil to shrink. He let go of his eye and did the same thing to his other eye, the same results occurring before he turned his light off. "Your eyes are working properly."

He lowered his head near Saka's neck, near the collarbone area. "Breathing is normal too…" He reached out and grabbed a clipboard from the front of his bed, taking a pen out as he began writing his results down on the paper. "Are you experiencing any problems with movement at the moment?"

"No."

"Alright. Now, how's that arm of yours?"

He lifted his shoulder slightly as he wiggled his fingers, showing he had full control over his arm at the moment. The doctor nodded as he wrote the results down again. "Well, good news. You'll be able to check out tomorrow since we'll have to run a few things by you today, mainly seeing how your arm is healing. Other than that, you're pretty good to go."

He doctor took the paper off from the clipboard, leaving behind a copy of it on the board that he hung back on the bed. He grabbed the needle that was in his arm, taking it out and hanging it beside the bag before he created a magic circle that he walked towards, a look of realization coming to him before he teleported away.

"By the way, a man came here a day ago and says he wants to meet you. He's currently in the waiting room on his floor. It's down the hall, take a left and straight down there, around the vending machines. Can't miss it. The man… well, he's got a lot of white."

"So I'm clear to get out of the bed?"

"Only if you can walk. If you can't, go ahead and send your Nekoshou friend down to the lobby and request either some crutches or a wheelchair. Your choice."

With that, the doctor left the room.

Saka looked to the heart monitor, following the cords that went under his shirt. He opened the shirt to reveal each pad sticking to his chest, pulling them off. This caused the monitor to stop beating and instead release a single, continuous beep.

He shuddered when he heard that sound, his hand turning the machine off while a shiver made its way down his spine from cold air touching his exposed torso. He closed the shirt immediately, not planning to risk catching a cold in a hospital of all places.

He chuckled slightly when he saw the irony in that.

He proceeded to push himself up, sitting straight now as he still felt the ache in his back. He used his arm to push his back forward, popping the joints in his spine as the pain of the ache dwindled, but was still there.

His gaze turned towards Kuroka, herself the only thing keeping him in the bed.

He then remembered something he used to do to her, during the time she was Kurai.

He lifted his hand over his body and onto the top of her head, right between her feline ears as he began petting her.

This caused her to begin purring, an action that made him to develop a small smile. He felt like the cuteness of her sleeping had definitely gone much higher than before with her purring like a cat as he felt a warm sensation developing inside him. Sadly, his smile didn't last long before it faded.

"Sorry… but I need to get moving."

He stopped petting her head as he lowered his hand to her shoulder, shaking her lightly.

This caused her to stir in her sleep, her eyes twitching partially. She made no effort, however, to get up as she instead snuggled against his arm in her sleep.

He shook her shoulder again with a little more strength as she stirred again, this time causing her to make the effort to not get up. She groaned slightly, turning her head away from him before snuggling against his arm one more time.

He sighed, a bit annoyed by her stubbornness before he decided to wake her up the rougher way. He channeled Arc Light to his left arm, not enough to hurt, but enough for a small shock in the form of a quick zap.

Instead, he his arm was not able to contain the Light, the Arc lightning jumping from his arm and to his torso before it went back into his body and disappeared.

Growing concerned somewhat, he tried channeling a small amount of Arc into his arm again, the same result happening as the Arc lightning jumped out of his arm and towards his head this time, entering his body before disappearing inside.

 _'_ _Wonderful… apparently my system is a little off in the left arm. I wonder why…"_

Now he was concerned with his arm, part of him curious into what would happen if he channeled his Solar Light instead, but another part of him said not to, in fear of burning something.

Then he got a little curious about Void. It was the element closest to death, and he was nearly dead earlier. Maybe it will channel through his arm without a problem.

He channeled Void Light into the arm, the purple particles of Light coming off his arm before it moved into his hand, forming into a familiar bow.

He felt glad he could at least channel his Void Light into his arm without an issue, still capable of making the Shadowshot bow appear. The bow disappeared into a small swarm of purple particles, but the light it gave off had disturbed someone unfortunate enough to have turned their head in its direction.

Her eyes slowly peeled open, her hazel orbs blinking to get rid of the sleep in her eyes. She lifted herself up, her head turning around and being greeted by him.

She blinked. She blinked again. And she blinked one more time.

"…It's about time you woke up…" She pulled herself off the bed, yawning as she covered her mouth with her hand.

He lifted his left arm up, testing his hand as he had full control over it. He then popped his shoulder, feeling the familiar sensation that comes from each of his joints every time he pops them.

"Yeah, good morning to you too…" He pulled the blanket off him, turning to the side of the bed as his legs now hung off the side. He lowered his foot, feeling the cold tile below before he put both feet on the ground and push himself off from the bed.

He stood up, his arms going into the air as he stretched his body.

She pushed herself from the side of the bed, getting up from the chair she was sitting in as she looked at him. More specifically, she looked at his arm.

He turned to face her, but he saw she was looking not at him, but his arm. He lifted it, making both their gazes follow it as he flexed his arm.

"It feels the same way as always, but I apparently damaged the system inside my body that lets Light flow through my body. I tried channeling some earlier, but it bounced off my arm and into me before I just absorbed it."

She hardly paid any attention to what he said, her legs moving her around the bed and towards him. As she got close to him, she spread her arms before she hugged him.

He was stunned the moment she hugged him, confused into why she would do such an act again before she spoke to him.

"Don't do something that stupid again… I don't want to see you dying in front of me ever again…"

He was somewhat confused by what she mean't with her words, but he understood what she was trying to say. He lifted one arm up and around her, returning the hug. He felt the feeling of the hug, another one between friends…

But… he felt like it was deeper than the one before, the one they had when he said he'll help her find her sister.

Regardless, he returned the hug. He never was one to understand the emotions of others.

"I'll try, but Hunter's are often known for their recklessness."

"I noticed."

They pulled away after a few seconds, both looking at each other as neither had any words to say. They stood there in silence, but his gaze began lowering onto himself to look at the clothes the hospital provided him.

"… Where are my clothes?"

"Don't know. Doctors took them and did something with them, nya."

His shoulder slumped when he heard that, a sigh escaping his mouth combined with a groan of annoyance. "Great… at least they were my least favorite sleeping clothes…"

His head perked up when he remembered what the doctor said before leaving. He had said a man came her a day ago and wanted to see him.

 _'_ _Maybe this man is someone I know… and maybe he brought me a pair of clothes I can actually walk around in public in.'_

He turned towards the door Sitri came from and left with, remembering the directions the doctor gave him.

"A doctor came in earlier and checked me. Before he left, he told me someone came here for me and is waiting in the waiting room."

"Who would pay you a visit, nya? You don't know that many people, do you?"

"I don't know. The only person I can think of is Keith, but he's nowhere near us right now."

"Do you even know the way?"

He nodded, turning towards the door as he made his way to it. He left the room, Kuroka following him as he recalled the directions the doctor gave him. They went down the hall, coming to an intersection where they took a left.

Ahead, they saw vending machines, remembering the doctor said the waiting room was close to the vending machines. They came around the corner, looking into the waiting room. Saka's eyes landed on the lone figure in the room, both widening in shock at the sight of them.

The figure was a man whose white robe hung over their body, covering his body entirely as he had a pair of black gloves. He had two white pieces of armor over his shoulders. His head was wrapped in a black cloth, a familiar symbol in front of his collar as he wore a white mask.

They turned their head to face him, turning their body towards him.

"It is good to see you again… Child of Light."

Kuroka raised an eyebrow to why the man knew of Saka, despite herself only finding out less than a week ago. She turned to face said Hunter, seeing him in a stiff posture before clearing his throat, bowing towards the robed man.

"I… It is a pleasure to see you again, Speaker…"

"Rise, young Light. There is no need to bow."

He lifted himself back up, disbelief evident on his face while there also seemed to be joy. Kuroka looked at him before looking back at the Speaker, but she felt a shiver run down her spine the moment he turned to face her.

"I am sure you have questions about who I am and how I know of the young Light's heritage. I am the Speaker for the Traveler, the voice for our God during his time of healing."

"His time of healing…? What do you-"

"Please, I do not wish for others to hear what I have to say. Young Light, I would like to take you and your young Nekomata with me to somewhere only we can hear what I shall say."

"I… yes sir. But what about the fact I'm currently admitted to this hospital?"

"That is a problem easily fixed by a friend. Please, follow." The Speaker turned to leave the waiting room, Saka still shocked to see him as he followed. Kuroka followed not only for the sake of finding out what was happening, but because she felt worried about Saka.

They took an elevator to the ground floor, all of them waiting in the small room as the Speaker turned towards him.

"I had nearly forgotten your dislike of hospitals, even the Tower's own infirmary wing, especially of the clothing they give their patients." He held his hand out, a Ghost coming out on top of his palm. The Ghost floated towards Saka, releasing multiple beams onto him as his clothing was swapped, changing him into his shirt and pants with his boots.

The Speaker's Ghost flew back to him, disappearing as the clothing Saka was provided were in his hands.

"… How did you-"

"I had made a stop by your room in the Tower before coming."

"Before coming? Wait, how did you-"

"It shall be explained shortly. Follow me." The elevator opened as they stepped out, making their way into the lobby. As they went to the front door, the Speaker made a stop by the counter, dropping the clothing off before reaching into his robe to show the person at the front desk a seal of some sort.

The woman's eyes widened before she nodded, the Speaker putting the seal back into his robe as they left the hospital. But, the moment they stepped outside, a red magic circle appeared beneath them, rising up before teleporting them away.

* * *

 _Scene Transition…_

* * *

They appeared outside a large mansion, one that seemed a little too large and far more pompous than it should be for the standards of living inside.

 _'_ _I know where I'm never living…'_ He thought to himself as he looked at the Speaker, watching him walk towards the building as if he was a man walking home, or maybe to a friend's house.

Saka turned towards Kuroka, seeing she looked partially concerned and worried. He was about to ask why she looked like so, but the Speaker had stopped him before he could ask.

"Hurry young Light. Day in the Underworld is shorter than on Earth."

He looked at the Speaker before turning back to Kuroka, placing his hand on her shoulder. She jumped slightly the moment she felt his hand, looking at him. Her cheeks gained a pink hue, her surprise quickly being replaced by what he could assume to be embarrassment. But, that embarrassment didn't last long before being replaced by slight anger.

She looked like she was about to say something, but she couldn't come up with anything to say at the moment as she closed her mouth shortly. She turned from him and moved towards the Speaker to join him at the door.

He felt confused by her actions before following.

The Speaker knocked on the door only once as they waited. In seconds, the door opened to reveal a woman with silver hair and a maid outfit.

"Speaker. It is a pleasure to see you again."

"The pleasure is all mine, Grayfia."

Grayfia turned her gaze from the Speaker and towards Saka and Kuroka. The moment her gaze landed on both of them, they felt their blood run cold.

"The Black Cat, and the Hunter you've spoken of, I assume."

"Indeed he is. He is Saka Hikari, one of our most dangerous Hunters alive- besides Cayde, of course."

Her gaze focused solely on Saka now, causing his blood to feel even colder than before, maybe even freezing in his veins.

Her stare felt so cold, so stern. He could almost feel like he was freezing under a large block of ice that would cover his entire body, freezing him down to his very soul.

"I welcome you to the House of Gremory, Saka Hikari. My name is Grayfia Lucifuge, maid to the House of Gremory."

"O-Oh… U-Um… Err… Ko… Konnichiwa (Hello.) Watashi wa... sore wa meiyodesu ka? (I… it's an honor?)" He mentally facepalmed when he realized he forgot his English again, remembering he just woke up from nearly dying not too long ago again.

Grayfia looked at him with a raised eyebrow.

"Japanese? I should have known you could speak it, but I had heard you speak English well."

"Ma... Anata ga miru… (Well… you see…)" He coughed to clear his throat before continuing. "My… my brain has the habit of switching to Japanese after I come close to death or I'm deprived of oxygen long enough. Because I was bleeding out and dying, I began speaking it again. That, and English is my second language. It took me a few years to become fluent with it."

"I see. Perhaps you should know many Supernatural entities have the passive power to speak and understand any language known to man."

"… Oh…"

"Now, please come in. Someone has been expecting you for the past week once he heard of you." Grayfia turned around and walked through the large hall. The Speaker entered and follow her, leaving Saka and Kuroka at the door.

He pushed down whatever nervousness and fear he felt earlier, calming himself as he stepped inside. He took a few steps in before he realized he heard only his own footsteps, turning around to see Kuroka still standing at the door.

"Kite imasu ka? (Are you coming?)"

She said nothing before nodding, stepping inside. When she did, the door began closing behind her, actually closing itself. He stood still to let her catch up before she did, turning to follow the Speaker and Grayfia again.

They made their wall through the hall, seeing the numerous paintings and pieces of art that lined the walls. Some managed to catch their interest, others not so much. They could see multiple halls that split off from the one they were in, large windows on the other side to let them see a beautiful garden outside.

 _'_ _Holy hell… Gremory did have everything handed to her on a silver platter if this is her home…'_

The halls were large and grand, whoever designing them obviously being masters. He felt small compared to the size of the hall they were in, feeling as if the hall would allow four, maybe five Fallen Walkers into the building that were stacked on top of each other.

He then shivered at the thought of five Fallen Walkers stacked on top of each other. The amount of shock mines it could deploy, the rapid fire barrels under the engine that powered the tank along with the main cannon itself.

That would be a nightmare to deal with compared to the time he was stuck in the Hive catacombs under Earth for nearly a week.

He brought his hand up to scratch the back of his head, trying to forget a time when he was a younger Hunter.

They came across a large door, one that Grayfia stood in front of as she knocked.

"Lord Lucifer, the Speaker has come with the Hunter."

"Has he now?" A voice replied from the other side of the room, some shuffling of papers coming from inside. Grayfia seemed to sigh in annoyance, but whatever emotion she was feeling at the moment was hidden by her stoic expression. "Let me talk with the Speaker first."

She turned towards him as he nodded. She opened the door, letting the Speaker enter as she stepped in herself.

"Please wait here as we finish our business momentarily." She closed the door behind her, again leaving Saka and Kuroka outside.

He turned to his side, then the other in an attempt to look for somewhere to sit. He saw nothing close to a chair or bench, leaving him to stand.

He sighed as he leaned against a wall, right beside one of the windows as he turned his head to let him see outside with just the edge of his vision. Another sigh escaped his lips as he looked out the window, not believing the land outside really was Hell.

Subconsciously, a knife had appeared in his hand as he twirled it with his fingers. It was a small act, but one that managed to keep himself from feeling bored like the many times in the past when he had to wait for Zavala to send his team on a mission.

That entertainment quickly died and turned into a more dark expression taking over his face. He remembered his team- himself, a female Warlock by the name of Lina, and an Exo Titan by the name of Max-13.

Most of the memories he had with them were ones he grew fond of, remembering the adventures they had. Their time through the remains of the Cosmodrone, their dive into the Hellmouth, their treks through the jungles and Vex Ruins of Venus, the times they traveled over the desert terrain of Mars. Even the time they went to the Reef once they captured Skolas, fighting in the Prison of Elders under Variks's watch. He then recalled the time they boarded the Dreadnaught to kill Oryx.

He remembered the time they ventured into the Black Garden and destroyed the Heart of Darkness. The time they dove into the Vault of Glass and destroyed Atheon before he began doing it for fun because of the strange power of the Vault that always brought him back to life once a week. The time he had to leave them to kill Crota by himself. The time they hunted down Skolas before capturing and killing him. Even the mission to Phobos, the start of the Taken War that happened almost a year ago.

Those were fond memories he was glad to have, but they all lead up to a single memory he could never forget. The mission to Venus, when they were sent to investigate the rogue Warlock Osiris. He stopped playing with his knife, holding the blade towards his palm as his thumb ran against the edge, cutting slightly into his skin and drawing a small amount of blood.

Light began burning in his eyes, a soft blue hue behind their green shine. He felt anger building up inside him, rage coming from deeper inside from the thought of the memory.

He realized the sharp pain from his thumb, casting the memory out of his mind quickly as he made the knife disappear. He brought his thumb up to his mouth, sucking the blood off the wound.

Who knew playing with knives while remembering bad memories was a bad thing?

He flicked his wrist to try and fling the pain off, despite how pointless it really was. He turned his gaze towards Kuroka, to see what she was doing.

She was standing in the middle of the hall, her feline appendages all drooping as she had a melancholic look.

He pushed himself off the wall to make his way to her, but the door to the room opened as Grayfia stood in front.

"You are ready to enter now."

He looked towards Grayfia before giving Kuroka one last look, seeing her still standing in the middle of the hall. She might not have even heard Grayfia.

He walked towards her, waving his hand in front of her face to get her attention. She seemed to have come back down to earth- or in this case, the Underworld- as she looked at him, her feline appendages all rising back up as if they never looked sad.

"What's the matter? You're acting a little odd."

"Odd? Are you trying to make a girl feel more uncomfortable than she already is?"

"More than she already… what?"

"Nothing." She walked by him, entering the room as she disappeared behind the door. He groaned before entering the room himself, his shoulders slumping slightly.

Inside was what looked to be a very large study. Books lined the walls and scaled so high, it had become necessary to add a second story in the back. Numerous ladders to reach said books were everywhere on the walls as a desk was in the middle of the room.

And behind this desk was a man who looked like a male version of Rias, wearing a more royal looking robe as his crimson hair reached his shoulders.

The man coughed to clear his throat to catch their attention. Saka turned his attention to this man as Kuroka barely even changed her expression. He could see her in the corner of his vision, and he swore she looked as if she mumbled something short, possibly a single word or name.

"So… you are the Saka Hikari, correct?" The man asked him as he received a nod. "I must say, when I first heard the rumors of a teenage Hunter rising in a war, I would have never believed a word the Speaker said."

"A teenage… what the Speaker… what do you-"

"Please, wait a moment before we get to that. I would like to welcome you to the Underworld, as I am one of the Satans who lead it. My name is Sirzechs Lucifer, but you may call me Sirzechs. Now, I must say… you look nothing like what I had thought you would. I had anticipated a man made entirely of muscle… not a man who looks to be in his teenage years."

Sirzechs was looking at him with a slight smile before a hand had grabbed his cheek and pulled. Hard.

"You will have to excuse Lord Lucifer for that insult. He is rather childish." Grayfia was holding his cheek, causing it to turn red in pain.

"Owww… Gwayfia. Pwease let go…" Sirzechs was able to get out as Grayfia released his cheek, letting it snap back to his mouth as he rubbed the area she grabbed.

"As I had said. Lord Lucifer can be childish at times, so please forgive him if he manages to insult you again."

"Um… sure…"

"Well, as I was saying… welcome to the Underworld. Yes, it looks very similar to Earth. The reason for this is because of the ice age we experienced a few million years ago that cooled the fire that once covered everything. It is also because of this we actually don't have any oceans… they dried up."

"Uh huh…"

"Well, now, onto any questions you have."

…

…

…

"That… that's it? Just… a welcome and some quick history about Hell, then we move onto my questions?"

"That's right."

"…How in the name of Light are you the leader of the Devils?"

"I ask that question every day." Grayfia spoke out on the outside, causing a small bit of nervous sweat to appear on Sirzechs' side.

"Well, it all started during the Great War and-"

"I'm kidding! I'm kidding! Don't bother telling me a story…" He covered his face with his hand as he slowly dropped it down his head. "…How do you know about me? I came here little over half a year ago. Guardians should be an anomaly to you people since they should have never been here before, yet you know the Speaker and who I am."

"Exactly, that's the thing. Guardians never should have been here."

"What do you mean?"

"Back during the Great War, we Devils were actually being pushed down faster than the Angels or Fallen Angels. This was because both had power over light and holy weapons, something very lethal to us. It was because of this, we needed an alternative or we would be faced with extinction. That is when the man who would become Beelzebub invented a portal. He had designed the portal to allow us to send Devils back in time during the war to reinforce our standing because we'll know what had gone wrong by then.

However, what we got was… much different than what he had anticipated."

"Guardians." The Speaker took over for the story as he moved to stand beside Sirzechs. "Years ago, Ikora had made a project for us to use Vex technology to travel back in time to prevent the Collapse. With Guardians armed with Light, weapons, and their Ghosts, we would have been able to prevent the Collapse from ever happening. We knew of the risk that came with altering the past, but Ikora had been younger and less experienced then. She insisted we activate the portal and step through.

And we did. What we saw was not Earth, but a war among beings who looked so similar to Humans, but were nowhere close."

"We had activated the portal, hoping to travel back and ensure victory by correcting our past mistakes. When the portal was activated, what we got were people walking through, all wielding various weapons and wearing strange armor. Some in robes, some with hoods, and some in bulky armor. The one thing they all had in common was the small orbs of Light that floated over their shoulders."

"When we had received news of how we had entered another war, we questioned what went wrong. We found it impossible to have ever forgotten a war fought between three races of Inhuman origin. We saw how the Angels and Fallen Angels all wielded light, but it was not anywhere close to our own. Our Light proved to be… more malleable, easier to control. We found Guardians having a natural defense against their attacks, turning our attention to the Devils to see what they were capable of."

"We thought a fourth faction would enter the war, one capable of killing hundreds of Devils with only one soldier. The Fallen Angels and Angels saw the Guardians and attacked. We saw how they were easily killed because of their Human bodies, but the shock that came to every Supernatural entity in the war was how they came back to life in seconds, becoming an endless army that could never die. We had now feared for our safety as a race in the world, viewing the Guardians as the race that will finally make the Devils go extinct before doing the same thing to the Fallen Angels as we had believed they would ally themselves with the Angels."

"We allied ourselves not to God, nor Azazel. We offered our assistance to the Devils, as many Guardians felt sympathy with them because of our own situation. We helped them in fighting off the Angels and Fallen Angels, bringing their numbers down drastically as we handed some command of the Guardians to the Devils. The war began dropping in action, soon a ceasefire being issued when the former Satans died. Once this happened, we withdrew our Guardians and began speaking for peace between us."

"Years later, a treaty had been signed between Devils and Guardians, allying us together as we began assisting each other's forces whenever the chance had come. We sent resources to the Guardians as theirs were dwindling as they helped us rebuild. Now, our worlds are connected as only the higher ups know about the event. To the public, the experiment failed for the Guardians as the Devils managed to survive the war."

He stood silently, letting the information he just heard sink in. It was then he realized what Sirzechs just said.

"…Our worlds? You mean… the whole… multiverse theory thing is real? I didn't travel back in time?"

"Time travel is a feet still yet to be achieved, young Light. Time manipulation, however… is a different story. One you may like to hear one day, but you have no way of learning it as you are."

"As I am? Hold on… do you mean that if I make myself stronger, I can manipulate time?"

"Sadly, no. Light has very little influence over time like how Voidwalkers can manipulate space to a certain degree."

"Then why mention time manipulation as if I could do it?"

"Being exposed to Vex portals can change a Guardian. The one change known the most is when time manifests within a Guardian to grant them power to destroy the Vex, taking its vengeance on the agents of the Darkness who manipulate it."

"You say this like time is alive."

"Time is an endless river. It flows calmly through the path that has been carved for it, parting into an alternate reality by splitting into another stream. One possible example for this could be if the river split to another reality where the current generation Red Dragon Emperor was a pervert obsessed with the bodies of women, mostly their bosoms as it could be one where Guardians never came to their world. But time is a river, and a river flows how it wants. The Vex turn this river and take from its path, causing time to grow angry and develop rapids, hidden dangers under its reflective surface with the risk of beings vanishing into the waters of time.

Time does not take the Vex's actions pleasantly, locking areas out of its reach. The river grows furious when they do this, then letting their waters splash out of the river and into the Guardian, granting them the power to destroy the Vex as the Guardians calm the river once more. However, time does allow one to either slow or fasten its flow. Very few are given this blessing of time. Some use it for good, others evil. However, I am sure that if you had time's blessing, it would allow you to walk among its waters and possible even follow your command. If you were lucky."

"You and I both know how my luck is…" He state blatantly before closing his eyes, his face looking up towards the ceiling. "… So how long have you known I was here?"

"We didn't. We had thought you had disappeared into the Vault. We sent numerous teams to look for you, but each one came up empty with the only signs of a Guardian having been inside being the casings from bullets and empty clips. It was a long four months before we deemed you killed in action, but the Traveler… Light has always worked in mysterious ways."

"… There has to be some sort of catch. I can't just 'go home' when I somehow go to another world."

"There is none. The portal is easy to open now that our side has increased the power of the gate."

"In that case, why has no one tried to come and get me? I'm an invaluable asset to our forces, yet you leave me in another world for more than half a year?"

"We would have if we had known it was indeed you. You became very elusive when you chose to fight on your own against the Darkness, no team to help. You still seem to have that elusiveness because the reports of the Stray Devil hunter were everywhere, but the most common spot was Kuoh. We could not send even one Guardian without the young Gremory or Sitri heiresses realizing where we were. If you wish to come back, the portal can be easily opened for your return."

He remained silent when he heard that. He could go back to the world he was from, the one where war between Light and Darkness still rages on. He curled his hands into fists, clenching them tight as his nails were almost ready to pierce his skin to draw blood.

He dropped his gaze to the ground, the words they spoke running through his head multiple times as they repeated and repeated. He let one fist uncurl as he placed it against his forehead, a pondering look obvious on his face.

Behind him, Kuroka was looking at him, a worried look in her eyes as she looked at him. She could feel something building up inside of her, some part of her fearing him saying yes. She clenched the sleeves of her kimono, anticipating his answer as she felt afraid to know what it will be.

"…I will return."

He said the words she was afraid he would say. Her eyes widened when he said it, staring at him shock now.

 _'_ _Did he say he didn't care?'_ She felt pain inside her chest when she thought of that. She wanted to raise a hand to her chest and hold where she felt the pain, but she didn't want to show weakness in front of Lucifer. _'He doesn't… he has no reason to stay here…'_

"…Is what I would say if I was the same Hunter you knew half a year ago." He lifted his head up, letting his arms drop to his sides as he looked at the Speaker. "I've wanted to return home for weeks since I came here, but, as time went on, I found myself changing. I was able to accept the fact it wasn't my fault my team died. I lost most of my recklessness when I came here, despite how the Darkness is no threat here and death was no more than an annoyance. I gave up my revenge on the Vex because they… they let me meet someone. But… another reason why I can't return… I don't have Ghost. He left."

"What? Why in the name of Light would your Ghost leave you?"

"He didn't like how I trusted Kuroka so easily. He said she was a spy for the Devils, but I believed she was no such thing. She is a dear friend of mine who is in search of her sister, and I said I would help her. I can't help myself… I hardly had any friends growing up because no one wanted to play with the kid who they couldn't understand. Lina and Max were my first friends, and I treasured them because of this… but they taught me something important during our time as Fireteam Zero.

And if I'm to be honest… I like this world because here… I met someone who helped me, someone I care about." He looked over his shoulder, towards Kuroka. This caused the dark haired Nekoshou to gain light pink cheeks before turning from him, not letting him see her embarrassed. "You said so yourself, the portal is easily opened, right? So what's the harm in letting me stay here? I've already proven myself as an effective Stray Devil hunter and the Taken war has long since ended since I killed Oryx and Malok… why not act as another Hunter?"

The Speaker was silent, his mask making it impossible to read whatever expression he has underneath as his robe prevented him from reading his body language.

"…You truly are the Traveler's child. Very well. I will speak to Zavala about this, but I shall suggest you remain here if your Ghost truly is not with you anymore."

"Thank you. Just… if we have the power to travel between worlds, is it possible you can drop me off on Earth? This Earth, that is."

"With pleasure. Though, may I ask why you do not seem surprised to learn of our relation to the Devils?"

"We're from a world where an enormous being came to us and gave people superpowers and I was born from said being. Not only that, I've been exposed to Devils and Fallen Angels, even the monsters of this world like the Strays and even a Hydra. I'm surprised myself, but I think my mind is starting to accept the fact anything can and will happen now because of where I am in life. That, and it kind of helps with the fact a friend of mine is a Youkai and the whole fact that I'm looking at Lucifer right now."

"I see… perhaps Cayde had taught you too well. Nonetheless, I shall prepare your departure from the Underworld." The Speaker waved his hand, a white magic circle appearing between Saka and himself. Saka looked at it before looking at him. "I have read a book or two about magic. And I must say… the magicians of this world have very interesting spells."

He didn't say anymore as he stepped towards the circle. Just as he planted one foot inside the circle, he turned to face Kuroka, holding his hand out for her.

"You coming?" He asked her.

She looked at him before her gaze moved to his hand. Almost without even thinking, she smiled slightly, grabbing his hand as he pulled her into the circle with him.

The circle rose up, engulfing them entirely and taking them away. The Speaker held his hands together in front of him as Sirzechs sighed and opened a drawer, revealing a large sum of paperwork that looked like it wasn't even halfway done yet.

Grayfia sighed at the sight of the paperwork, turning from him and moving for the door to leave him and let him finish his work. She left while closing the door behind her, leaving Sirzechs in the room with the Speaker.

"…You sent them there, didn't you?"

"Of course. She deserves seeing them once more."

* * *

 _Scene transition…_

* * *

The circle brought them from the Underworld and back to the Human world…

And they were somewhere with a lot of trees by the side of a rather large looking river.

"…"

"…"

"…"

"… Did… did he just throw us… in the middle of nowhere?"

"Yes… he did."

"Oh, damn it Speaker…" His hands massaged the temples of his head. An exasperated sigh came out before he picked his head back up to look forward. "What the heck is it with me and finding forests in this world? I swear, if there is another Stray Devil that turned into a tree monster, I'm going to…"

He cut himself off when he realized he was alone now. Kuroka had disappeared as he ranted, making him look around for any possible trace of her.

He was lucky as he saw footprints in the shape of her sandals that dug lightly into the dry dirt below and crumpled leaves lying on the ground. He sighed as he decided to follow the trail, but something had landed on the tip of his nose.

He picked it off his nose as his eyes widened when he saw it.

A cherry blossom petal.

He looked ahead, feeling his heart sinking as worry built up deep within.

The path from his nightmare was in front of him, cherry blossoms lining. He brought his gaze down to the ground to see her footprints went through it, meaning he would have to go through if he wanted to find her.

He walked along the path, weary of what may happen if his nightmare was a vision instead. It was rare for Guardians to receive visions, and rarely did a Hunter or Titan receive one because the Warlocks were the ones who had the most, some devoting themselves to the Thanatonaughts order.

He dismissed the thought of an order to the Warlocks as he followed the path carefully, his hand almost begging to reach behind him and grab the hilt to feel some sense of security.

He ignored that want, shaking his head as he kept moving forward. A gust picked up as a swarm of pink petals flew towards him, signaling for him to raise his arms up to protect his face from any landing in his eyes as he pushed forward.

He kept walking, feeling the nervousness inside of him growing with every step he took.

But he ignored his nervousness as he moved, the sound of cherry blossoms blowing through the wind with the sound of his footsteps.

He forced down his nervousness in the form of a gulp, a clearing coming into view as he began to prepare himself for the worst while slowing down.

He looked at the clearing, seeing familiar rubble lying around, only… most of it had weathered away already. The grass was lush and green, no burn marks anywhere. Most of the rubble itself was already covered in vegetation, a sapling growing in the center.

He looked to the side and saw the river, just like the one from his nightmare.

He lost the nervousness he just had, instead being replaced by a more calm and neutral feeling now.

Calmly, he stepped further into the clearing, towards the rubble. He placed his hand on the vegetation growing on top of it, his hand feeling the soft grass that was already growing on the layer.

He looked up from the rubble, his gaze turning to the cherry blossoms that circled the rubble as numerous pink petals were either falling to the ground who had already covered most of it.

But, he felt like the scene itself was… beautiful. His hand slid off the rubble, his body moving from the pile as he watched the cherry blossoms flow through the wind.

"… Mom would've loved this…"

"Saka?"

Kuroka's voice came from the other side of the rubble, his mind telling him to walk around it. He did just that as he moved around the pile, seeing her on her knees with two crosses made of sticks in front of her, both sticking out of the ground.

He was partially confused by what he was seeing before his mind began ticking before a tock came from it, his eyes growing slightly wide when he realized what she was doing.

"Oh, um… Chuden shite moshiwakearimasen. (Sorry for interrupting.)"

"Watashi wa chodo shiagete ita. (I was just finishing.)"

He looked at her, shocked to hear what she said as she smirked at him, pushing herself up to her feet.

"Didn't expect me to learn the language of the Human country I was born in?"

"Not really…"

He couldn't help but turn his gaze towards the two graves, curiosity having gotten the better of him as she saw where his gaze had landed.

"So those are…"

"Yes… they are…"

Both stayed silent after that, the sound of the forest around them resounding throughout as neither felt like they had the gut to speak again.

He opened his mouth to speak, but she saw him and shook her head, telling him not to say what she thought he was going to say. He closed his mouth, letting the silence stay with them.

She gave him a small smile, pointing towards the river to the side. He was partially confused by what she mean't by it as she walked to the river.

When she got close, she took her sandals off and opened the front of her kimono, letting her legs out as she sat down before putting her legs in the water.

He now understood what she mean't as he moved to beside her, taking his boots off with their socks before rolling up his pants past his knees, placing his legs in the water himself.

The river felt cold, but at the same time, refreshing. The feeling of the water brushing against their legs gave them a sense of calm, one they felt like they couldn't find anywhere else.

They both focused on the feeling of the river running against their legs as the occasional petal would find its way along the river and against their leg. Their gazes looking up and towards the trees all around them and the starry sky high above them.

He should've checked what time it was.

Both of them remained sitting there, beside the river as they let the water soak their legs. They began to forget how long ago it was when either last said a word, but it was the silence that added to the calmness they were feeling. Until she broke the silence.

"My mom loved cherry blossoms, so she kind of forced dad into living out here, with so many cherry blossoms around us… When he did, it was then she actually told him he that she was pregnant… with me. Three years later, Shirone came. She was the cutest thing I ever saw back then, and I adored her when she was a kitten. When she was old enough, we slept together and were always together every day. At some point, we became inseparable.

But, mom and dad got sick after a while. They died not long after, leaving only me and Shirone. Luckily, my Senjutsu master was actually a good friend to mom, and she took us in… after… giving them a place to rest. It was then the Malphas heir took me and turned me into a Devil. The rest… you should know by now."

"Yeah… I can piece it together with that." He stood up, stepping into the river as he stood in the middle of it, letting him look straight up at the night sky. "… My mom also loved cherry blossoms. She once said that if she had the choice, she would make an orchard that grows only cherry blossoms as me and Saiko would be her helpers. I was the younger brother, and Saiko adored me while my mom loved both us to death. We were her pride and joy, if not her life.

We never really cared about who our father was, so we lived together happily. We were all really close, and we did a lot of things together before… before my mom died on a mission. It was just me and Saiko left, so we had to live with our aunt if we were to avoid being put into an orphanage. As such… we went really far North by moving to Russia with our aunt and cousins, both being a year younger than me.

It was a struggle for me to learn English, but Saiko was surprisingly really good with it already. She learned it in a few months, but it took me a few years to speak it fluently. We were on our way home when a truck driver was coming right at us. Saiko got out of the way, but because I was just a kid, my whole body had been overridden with fear, keeping me where I was. A few seconds later, I'm on the ground and there's blood on the street. I get up, only for me to realize what happened.

Saiko pushed me out of the way, but sacrificed herself so that I could live. She died in the hospital shortly after arrival, leaving just me in the world. I grieved, but not for long. She never liked seeing me sad, so I decided to try and stay happy for the rest of my life. It didn't last long because a year later… the Collapse happened, and the rest is history."

"Hey…" She got up from the side of the river, walking closer towards the center and closer to him before she hugged him. "I'm sorry to hear about her…"

"Thanks…"

They stood in the river for a long time, both losing track of how long it was quickly. His arm moved without him giving it the command, going around her as he held her by her shoulder.

She felt a little surprised in response to his hand, but she didn't do anything to try and remove it as she kept hugging him.

"You ever think that both our lives got a bit more hectic the moment we met?"

"Of course… but, there's no one else I'd be happier with…"

He smiled at her words, the warm sensation he was feeling earlier returning. But, inside of him, he could feel his heart beating faster than usual while he felt… happy… happy to have her by his side.

He didn't pay it much attention, believing it was still the fear he had earlier when the area looked so much like the nightmare and the fact his nightmare was not a vision like the Thanatonaughts.

But, he didn't know she was experiencing the same sensation. She could feel her own heart beating faster than usual as she felt happy to be with him. She felt her face become slightly warmer, the feeling itself feeling similar to how she feels about her sister, only… deeper.

She disregarded the feeling, believing it to just be her glad to have him still alive.

He kept his gaze up at the stars, watching them shine from above before he saw the moon. It hung in the sky perfectly, lighting the world below with its lunar grace as it was perfect.

Though, despite how long he's been in this world, it still feels weird seeing a moon that doesn't have numerous fractures lining the surface, nor a hole dug into the moon itself, reaching far into the crust of Earth's dear friend.

"Maybe it's time we head home… after sleeping for almost a week, I want a nice, hot shower."

"Want me to join, nya? I could scrub your back~."

"…While the help would be appreciated, I'm double jointed in my left, so I can reach it. Thank you for the offer." He tapped her shoulder as she let go of him, letting him turn around to go back to the grass and grab his boots.

However, the moment he turned around, he stopped moving as he stared at the scene in front of him.

Kuroka looked at him and was a bit puzzled into why he stopped moving, deciding to let her curiosity get the better of her as she turned to what he was looking at. Her eyes widened at the sight, standing next to him as both were stunned at what they saw.

"…Big… sister?"

"Shirone?"

* * *

Chapter 16 written and posted. One more milestone in the story.

But, I'm running out of things to really inform you guys other than realizing the christmas special may take longer than 2017. I'm planning for something that is mean't to take place pretty late in the DxD world. Another thing I want to mention is that when Destiny 2 comes out, there will be a time skip for the events that took place in the sequel. I am looking forward to Destiny 2, and I'm sure a lot of other people are too, but let's not get the hype train overcrowded, otherwise we'll be going off course and into depression canyon.

I guess maybe in the Destiny world it would be said as 'Happy Dawning?'

So Happy Dawning everyone, and good luck with Sparrow racing.

Farewell, and let us meet next time.


	17. Chapter 17

2017... the year that can either be the escape of 2016, or another repeat that can become even worse. One way or another, we have a whole new year! We've got one more year for all of us to try and do what we want, achieve our goals or dreams, and maybe even try something new.

I would have posted earlier, but I wanted the first chapter of 2017 to be important, and it is. I won't say anything else right now, but time for reviews.

Reviews:

 **Wacko12:** Yes, anyone would have a Fireteam when diving into the Vault, but Saka no longer has one. And Keith is unconscious since Vali fought him and made him accidentally use too much energy.

 **Athan Starclimber:** Yes, she may be the heiress to one of the last surviving 72 Clans, but she herself has done nothing. Her family has, but Rias has done zip. All she's done is throw around the Power of Destruction and expecting the enemy to stand still, since she is only used to the usual Stray Devil that ends up in Kuoh, which is one of the reasons why Riser won so easily. She doesn't deserve her rank as a High Class Devil since all she's done was be born, and that shouldn't earn anyone anything. Also, thank you.

 **Jebest4781:** Thank you.

Issei's girls:

Asia: 17

Irina: 7

Koneko: 5

Akeno: 3

Xenovia: 3

Ravel: 3

Looks like Koneko is securing her position as the third one.

Well, onto the Chapter.

* * *

Chapter 17: Sisters and love

* * *

The fast rotation of the fan above him was something that could almost be hypnotizing. His attention was focused on one of the blades, watching it spin around in circles at an incredible speed.

He rested on his bed, his hands on the back of his head as he left his gaze up and to his ceiling. He looked visibly relaxed, but this was a false outside as inside he felt much different.

His mind had wandered to earlier, the time both he and Kuroka were standing in the river.

 _'_ _Why… did I feel so happy with her?'_

He felt confused into why he felt happy with Kuroka beside him. He didn't know why he felt that way, all he knew is that he felt it, and that he might feel it again.

He could remember the scene from the river as if it was still in front of him, the image fresh in his mind.

Her beauty that looked as if nothing could hinder it. The shine of the moonlight pouring down onto her and giving her pearly skin a stunning shine. Her hazel orbs that looked to be more beautiful than even diamonds. Her warm, smooth skin that contrasted her silky dark hair. Her feline appendages and attitude that he couldn't help but call attractive.

He shook his head, trying to rid his mind of that though as he rolled onto his side while his gaze went for the wall, but his eye was closed to prevent the fabric of his pillow from touching it.

He let his mind wander again, moving onto the day she was poisoned and when they went to encounter the Queen of Malphas.

Why did he risk his life for her so quickly? He was an invaluable asset to the Guardians because of his connection to the Light- and to the Traveler itself. He knew this, yet he risked his life to fight against enemies he's never fought against before, nor has any other Guardian ever encountered one of them before.

…Well, maybe the Stray Devil part. The Hydra one seemed less likely to happen.

Regardless, he almost died fighting both. He almost drowned on his way to the Hydra to save her life, while he almost died because he was foolish enough to cut off his own arm, despite how he's already lost a large sum of blood from his own sword being stabbed into his shoulder.

He didn't understand why he risked death twice for her. If it was for Keith, he'd jump at the opportunity to save someone he grew up with and who was family.

Yet he risked his life for someone he's only known for a month.

Why?

He rolled over to his other side, his arms holding onto himself as he brought his legs closer to his main body, curling up on top of his bed.

 _'_ _I know she's my friend… but why am I risking my life for her? She saved mine, yes… but why do I risk my life for her?'_

He felt… confused about himself. He used to know everything about himself. His fears, his strengths, his weaknesses, his favorite things, the things he didn't like, everything about him.

Now he barely understood himself.

But, the thought of almost dying twice brought his mind to another subject.

He's fought a creature from mythology and a possibly mutated man who was insane. He almost died just getting to the Hydra while the man had basically drugged him and could have killed him easily, without any form of resistance.

Was this really the full power of a Hunter in a world not of his own?

He looked at his hand, trying to think. His guns were easily countered by even low ranking Fallen Angels. His cloak was something that could easily kill him if someone grabbed it and used it to choke him. Magic was another thing he had to consider because illusions could lead him to the enemy, every possible opening he could have being exposed to them because he wouldn't be aware.

The moment he stepped into this world was the moment he risked death itself. He shuddered to think about what it would be like to fight a God. Even another Demigod like himself would be something terrifying to face.

He never felt so… inferior before. There were probably countless high ranking Fallen Angels and Angels who are stronger than him, including the Seraphs themselves and God. Not only that, but there must also be Devils who are stronger than him. The only advantage he had against the Devils was Light, but he had nothing to use against Angels and Fallen Angels.

If it wasn't for the Solar Light in his body, he would've felt a chill run down his spine.

A small orb of Void Light formed in his hand, letting him stare at it.

Light was the only thing he seemed to wield that could truly be a threat to beings of the Supernatural.

But he couldn't rely solely on his own Light. If he used too much, he'd empty his reserves in seconds, leaving him defenseless.

Not only that, but his body was half Human. He was born to a Human mother as his father gave him Light that always regenerated, but also made up half of his genetic structure and body. No one knew the true limits of physical Light, and neither did he.

But he knew Light had its own limit. He couldn't use it forever. He needed an alternative… something he can use to keep his Light on the side as a backup plan, or use it as the backup plan when he runs out of Light.

He had his trump card, a hidden hand he keeps in the dark until he deems it necessary to use. But he used it and revealed himself to Kuroka before he passed out, letting her know of his trump card.

 _'_ _Keith has already obtained power from this world… a Sacred Gear… he's already adapted to this world's power. I'm still no more than a Hunter with Light… If I want a better chance of survival, I need to grow myself… but how?'_

He sighed in annoyance as he stopped himself there. It's been too long since he last slept in a good bed.

Hospital beds never felt comfortable to him. And he had to sleep in one for almost a week because he cut off his arm, something he plans on never doing again.

He let out a tired sigh, flipping over to bury his face into his pillow as he felt like he has been thinking too much and for too long now. He snuggled himself against his bed, finding the most comfortable position as he pulled the blanket over him before turning off the light to his side.

The room turned dark as he closed his eyes, waiting for the dark embrace of sleep to take him.

…

…

…

… And sleep's embrace never did take him.

He reopened his eyes, realizing he felt wide awake. With a groan, he turned over to face towards the ceiling as he sat straight up, the sheets falling off him.

 _'_ _I shouldn't have slept so long in that hospital… it may have messed up my sleeping schedule with how long I was asleep.'_

He sighed as he flicked the switch to the lamp by his bed. His feet turned to the side of the bed before they came out and met the carpet below, letting him get out of his bed to stand up as he went for his dresser. He pulled out his black tracksuit, changing his pants while putting the jacket over his shirt while not bothering with the zipper.

Maybe running around will tire him enough for him to sleep soon. He wants to fall asleep in his bed soon because he missed the feeling of his bed, along with how sleep sounded like the perfect opportunity for him to think about it again in the morning with a rested mind. He left his room and made his way towards the front of his home, walking through the hall before he arrived near the front.

As he moved for the front door, his instinct alerted him to the presence of two others. He turned his gaze towards the source, spotting the two sisters in front of him.

Kuroka sat on the couch, staring intently at the floor as Shirone sat in a chair opposite of her, engaged in a rather intense looking staring contest with the floor like her sister.

He raised an eyebrow at them, wondering why it seems as though both of them haven't said a word to each other as he shrugged.

He knew he couldn't do much to help them. What they had to do was something between them both as sisters, something he couldn't really help because he was a third party in their situation.

Kuroka could feel his presence, turning her head to look at him. He saw she had turned her attention towards him, a small smirk towards her as a sign of support before turning for the door. He put on his boots and left, not returning any time soon.

Kuroka barely felt more motivated to speak to her sister, turning her gaze towards the younger female in the room. Shirone looked up at her, their hazel orbs meeting as both flinched the moment their gazes met.

Both remained silent, neither seeming to be willing to say a word, both their gazes falling back to the floor. Silence was the only thing anyone's ears could hear inside.

An idea came to her mind, a small smile coming with it.

"… You remembered today too, didn't you Shirone?" Kuroka finally said to her sister, causing the white haired female to nod in response.

"I did…"

"I'm sure they'd be glad to know…"

"…Yeah…"

Silence returned faster than it left. Both slowly turned their heads away from their sister, not a sound coming from either. They sat in their seats, unsure of what to say next, or even if they were able to hold a conversation with each other. Shirone came up with a subject, one she felt curious about for years.

"You…you didn't… go insane by using Senjutsu?"

"Now Shirone…" She turned to face her younger sister as she crossed her arms under her bust, looking at her with a sly look in her eyes. "Do you believe your big sister would lose her mind after learning from her master?"

"…" She said something, but it was in the form of a nearly silent mumble, making it almost impossible to understand as her head began to lower, her bangs covering her face.

Kuroka's ears lifted up as she looked at her, wondering what she said. Her curiosity was soon replaced by concern when she saw a tear fall from her face and land on her lap, but it was followed by another, and another. Soon, the sound of her stifling herself from crying was what she heard.

"… I did…" She managed to get out with her voice sounding shaky. "You left… I… felt alone when you left… I thought you would come for me… but you didn't." Her arms were shaking in her lap as her form was becoming shaky itself. "The Devils… they… they took me when Auntie wasn't looking… they threw me in a cell… they even chained me to the wall…"

She wanted to say something, something to help her and make her stop remembering a horrible time in her life, but it felt like she couldn't say anything. It felt like something was inside her throat, preventing her from saying a word at the moment. All she could do was listen to what her sister was saying, her eyes glued at her smaller and shaking form.

"They kept telling me you were mindless… a criminal for killing the last heir of one of the 72 pillars… I didn't want to believe them, thinking you would come… but you never did…" Her tears were becoming stronger as she tried to keep them back. Despite her efforts, they found their way down her cheeks and onto her lap, sinking into her skirt if they didn't land on her hands. "Auntie… she… she… she demanded I be released because I didn't do it… but… the Devils didn't listen. They all said I should be killed… because of what I was…"

She opened her mouth to say something, but not a sound came out.

"…They dragged me out of the cell, and put me on a platform in public… they wanted to kill me in front of everyone… I… I was afraid… It was… right before they took my life… Lord Lucifer stepped in… and protected me. H-He convinced the Devils I wasn't a threat… but… it was too late… It felt like you betrayed me… the only person I had left… left me to die…"

"Shirone…"

"I… He took me to Rias… She… she helped me recover. She gave me a new name… a chance to be another person. I accepted it… and she treated me like family… I… felt welcome. She let me become her Rook… I was… happy. She let me experience… a life I couldn't have… if I was with you…"

Her concern was beginning to mix with irritation towards the Gremory Heiress. She felt annoyed and angry that Rias had taken her sister and put her somewhere she could never reach without a consequence of any kind. Her hands curled into fists that tightened on the ends of her sleeves, but she let her emotions stay inside as she did her best not to show any signs.

"So you had a better life… without your big sister?"

Shirone's silence gave her the answer, and it was not the one she wanted. She decided to voice her response despite how her sister already knew the answer.

"…Yes…"

She felt whatever positive emotions she still had from her sister talking with her again disappear, and instead be replaced by a strong source of sadness and… regret. She wanted the best for her little sister, but she feels like all she did was give her the worst.

"…"

"… Big… sister…?" She looked at the older Nekoshou, seeing her sister no longer revealing her face to her as she had lowered her head to look at her lap. She couldn't see any signs of emotion from her other than how her body stature looked gloomy.

Kuroka stood up, keeping her head low as her tails drooped sadly behind her. Her ears looked as if they had no energy to stand up themselves, both laying against the sides of her head. She took a step to the side, her feet almost dragging behind her as she began making her way to leave the room.

Shirone looked at her, feeling slight confusion by what she was doing, along with concern and worry. She wiped the tears from her eyes to stop them from hindering her vision, deciding to call out to her sister.

"Big sister… where are you-"

"You said it yourself… I'm not your sister." She lifted her head over her shoulder, a small amount of tears building up at the bottom of her own eyes as they seemed almost devoid of any positivity. She turned back to her front, walking away.

Shirone's eyes grew large in horror. She got out of the chair to follow, walking fast to go after her sister. She caught up quickly, her arms going around her to try and stop her from going any further without her, without using the strength her Rook piece gave her.

"Big sister, please! I-I didn't mean what I said that day!" She begged Kuroka, trying to tell her not to leave again. "I didn't know why you killed him… I was only told what the Devils assumed… I… I didn't know…"

"Shirone, let go…"

"…No… I don't… I don't want to lose you again…" Her voice had become shaky again, her tears returning to her eyes as her vision was blurred in response. She increased the strength of her hold on Kuroka, intent on not letting go.

"Shirone, please…"

"No… Auntie… she found me after he attacked… despite how I pushed her away because of what she was, she still cared for me… she told me the truth… she told me why you were here, why you killed him…"

She didn't say a thing, instead pulling her arms out of her sister's hold rather easily. Her hands moved up towards her chest as she lifted open her kimono while reaching inside, pulling out a picture she kept beside her bosom.

"Here." She held the photo by her side, in reach and sight for Shirone to see it when she turned her head. She slowly took her arms off her, grabbing the picture as she turned it over to look at it. The moment the image revealed itself to her sight, her eyes began growing wider in surprise.

It was a picture of four people, all together with cherry blossoms falling around them. The oldest looked to be the man with white hair and light blue eyes, but he also had two fluffy white cat ears on his head with matching tails. In his lap was a young girl with black hair and hazel eyes, matching feline appendages as she only had one tail.

Beside him was a woman with black hair and hazel eyes, another pair of matching cat ears on her head with two tails behind her. In her lap was a girl younger than the first with white hair and hazel eyes, two white cat ears atop her head with a single white tail behind her.

All of them looked to be happy in the picture, the two girls looking to be the happiest of them as they were all smiling towards the camera.

She stared at the image, unable to take her eyes off the picture. She was so focused on the picture that she didn't realize Kuroka was directly in front of her, her arms hugging her dearly as she began stroking the back of her head.

"You don't think I'd ever leave you again… do you?"

She couldn't find any words to say. Her tears were building up in her eyes, eventually growing too strong for her to hold as they burst through the dam. Tears began streaming down her cheeks, leaving behind wet trails as they fell down.

She gave in as she let herself loose, crying in her sister's arms as the picture fell out of her hand. Her arms latched onto her sister, finding it impossible to let go as she needed the support to keep herself standing as her head was on her shoulder.

Kuroka helped her and let her cry on her shoulder, her lips forming a small smile as she remembered the times in the past they would do this. She began whispering soft, gentle words into her ear to calm her.

Shirone could feel all of it. Her grief, her worry, her sorrow and her hatred. All of it was flowing out of her system in the form of the wet streams that were pouring down her face. She could feel her energy slowly disappearing, her tears sucking away a small fraction of her energy as they kept pouring from her eyes.

Their sense of time disappeared, causing both to lose track of how long they were there. All Kuroka knew was minutes had gone by, possibly even an hour. It took a long time, but Shirone's crying began dying down in sound, eventually ceasing and being replaced by soft breathing, her eyes closed as she lost the energy to stay awake.

She kept her smile, holding onto her sleeping sister. She turned her sight towards her, a soft whisper coming from her so she would not disturb her sleep.

"I'm sorry I was such a bad sister…"

* * *

 _Scene Transition…_

* * *

Saka ran along the side of the street, trying to get rid of all the energy he has as an attempt to make himself tired. His tracksuit top flowed with the wind that came against him as his legs moved quickly as an attempt to drain him of his energy.

He grabbed the side of a pole, using it as assistance to turn around the corner to his side to keep his momentum before sprinting off again. As he ran, he tried putting as much energy as possible into each movement to drain him faster.

As a result of this, his breathing was faster than usual as well as the small traces of sweat that has formed over his body, despite the cool breeze of night around him. He didn't pay too much attention where he was going, instead making mental markers of where he's gone and how long it's been since he left.

He thinks he must've been about thirteen, maybe fourteen blocks away from home.

He came to another corner, taking it as he slowed himself. He came to a stop quickly, his hands falling to his knees as he was breathing heavily. Reaching into his pocket, he pulled out his phone to see how long it's been.

"Fifteen minutes… great…"

He pocketed his phone before deciding to look where he was. To his side, he saw a vending machine with drinks. Counting himself lucky, he took out a few coins that he put into the machine. He looked over what drinks it had to offer, seeing some that looked good, others not so much.

He shrugged his shoulders as he instead went for some water. The machine whirred a bit with the usual sound one would expect from a vending machine as a thud came from the bottom. Reaching in, he grabbed the bottle it gave him, taking the cap off as he drank.

"Odd choice of time you chose to run." A female voice spoke to him from behind, causing him to almost choke on his drink as he turned around instantly, his hand reaching behind him for his sword. The moment he saw the source of the voice, his eyes furrowed in response.

"You!"

She sat on the wall across from him, her helmet hiding her face as the rest of her armor hid her body. He kept his eye on the Hunter in front of him, the one he met when he fought the Hydra.

"Do you plan on attacking me, or are you just reaching for your weapon to intimidate me?"

He gave a low growl as he began pulling his hand away from his back, crossing his arms together in front of him.

"What are you doing here?"

"Am I forbidden from walking into any town marked as Gremory Territory? Last I checked, Guardians don't have too much of an influence in their territory."

He began barring his teeth as he began growling again. As he growled, a scent came to his nose. He sniffed the air, finding the scent somewhat familiar as it seemed to have come from the Hunter in front of him. He stepped forward, sniffing the scent again as he began to recognize it.

"…You're not Human… nor are you Awoken or Exo…" He stood a few feet away from her, looking at her as she didn't move an inch. "You're a Youkai… A Nekomata."

"…You got me." She held her arms in the air as if she was surrendering. He looked at her, baffled by her action and her response. "I'm a Nekomata… and I'm a Hunter."

"How?" He asked, curious into how a being not from his world was a Guardian. "Humans were the only beings there when the Traveler arrived. Awoken appeared years later as the Exo were made sometime between. How did a being of the Supernatural become a Guardian?"

"It's best you don't know." She jumped down from her spot on the wall, landing on her feet without showing any attempt to counteract the impact of the jump. "Some things are better left hidden in the shadows."

"That just means I'll have to bring the truth to the light. But, you haven't answered my question… why are you here?"

"You didn't think someone went out of their way to find Shirone?" She too crossed her arms in front of him, almost in an attempt to mock him as his eyes furrowed. "Go ahead… put the pieces together."

"…" He remained silent as he lifted his hand to his chin, piecing together what she mean't in seconds. "So… not only are you a Nekomata Hunter… you're also Kuroka's Senjutsu and Youjutsu master?"

"Bingo. Right on the dot. You couldn't be more right if you tried."

"Right… so why are you here talking with me? Wouldn't you rather talk with your student who was on the run for three years of her life and hasn't had the chance to speak with anyone she was familiar with?"

"No… I'd rather not interfere with their business as family. I hardly have any relation to them other than how I was a good friend of their mother. Unlike you who decided to involve himself with Kuroka."

He could feel slight anger rising inside him, looking at her with a glare. "And just what do you mean by that?"

"You've made a name for yourself as a Stray Devil hunter, but no one knew about you otherwise. First you deal with Fallen Angels who defied their leader, then you decide to fight against a Stray Queen that could easily have killed you. Not only that, but you decided to fight a Hydra, where just a single scratch from one of its fangs could kill you in seconds. If I didn't know any better, I'd have to say you haven't learned much from Cayde."

He dropped his glare when she said that. How did she know who taught him?

"You're wondering how I knew it was Cayde, aren't you?" He felt a cold feeling run through his body when she said what he was thinking. "Didn't Kuroka tell you? Senjutsu users can sense the state of anyone nearby when they're experienced enough. You're almost covered in confusion and anger."

He growled again as he let out a deep breath, turning away from her as he no longer wanted to pay her too much of mind.

"…Why are you talking with me? You've been keeping track of me… so why do you have an interest in me?"

"My reasons about why I'm interested in you are my own. The reason why I'm here is because I must know… what is your relation to Kuroka? And what do you plan on doing to her now that she no longer has any reason to stay with you?"

He felt the urge to growl again before he listened to her second sentence. What did he plan on doing to her after this? Her innocence was proven to remove her status as a criminal, she was no longer a Devil so she no longer has a tie to her former King, and she had her sister again. Now that he looked at it, she had no real reason to stay with him unless she wanted his children, but even then, she could find someone more powerful.

"My relation with her isn't much. Friends is how I would describe it. And what happens between us after she reconnects with her sister is her choice. She's her own person, and I don't have any influence on other people's lives."

"Are you sure about that?" She asked him as she began walking towards him. "Are you sure you don't plan on forcing her to stay with you because you love her and don't want her to leave you?"

He turned around, staring at her with angry eyes as his stare could almost burn a hole through her helmet. "I won't ever force her into a one-sided relationship! Not only that, but she is out of my league! You've seen how beautiful she is, so what chance do I have with her loving me?!" _'Oh you idiot…'_

She stopped her progression towards him, looking at him through her helmet as both stood there, silence coming after what he said. The next sound they head was the sound of her giggling, soon laughing as her laughter caused him to shrink slightly, feeling embarrassed as she was most likely laughing because of what he said.

"Hahaha! Of course! I should've expected something like this from you!"

"…Expected what from me?"

Her laughing began to quiet, soon coughing to get the rest of it out of her system before she replied. "The fact you might be denying your feelings."

"Denying my… I'm not denying anything about me, especially not my feelings."

"Really? Then how do you feel about Kuroka. Are you sure she is just a friend to you… or is she something more to you?"

He opened his mouth to give her his response, but when he tried to speak it, he found his voice gone. He tried it again, another attempt at giving her his reply, but he still found his voice gone was confusion began taking a stronger hold on him than it did before. It felt like he was… hesitating to give her his answer.

 _'I… I can't deny what she's saying… because I know… she's right.'_

Now that he thought about it, why did he care about her like so? They may have had that moment earlier where they stood in the river, but he remembered he had wrapped his hand around her to bring her close, almost like how a lover would pull their lover close.

He didn't understand it. He didn't know why, but since the day he had touched her heart and returned from her past, he had an odd infatuation for her. He cared about her more than Keith, his own cousin. He trusted her almost immediately, despite Ghost's warnings before he left.

His hand found its way to his heart, finding it beating faster. But, it was not only beating faster because he was just running, but there was also the strange, warm sensation from before inside him again. He could feel an odd source of happiness from himself thinking about her.

 _'I…I do… I have feelings for Kuroka… but love doesn't happen in a month… does it?'_

He remained silent as the Hunter stepped towards him.

"So it looks like I was right. You do have feelings for her… but you're afraid of them. You've never felt this way before about anyone, have you?"

He looked at her head when she asked, shaking his head as he knew he never loved anyone in a romantic way before.

"First, you should know tha falling in love isn't the end of the world. It can be the start of a new world if you love each other that much, but you should know love is the start of a new experience of joy. Once you do fall in love with someone, you want to be by their side forever. Next, you'll begin seeing the small things you do with her as joyful acts you both enjoy, together. As you stay together, the spark of love that was ignited between you two may begin to dwindle in size, eventually just each other's presence being enough for both of you. Both of you would no longer see other as parts of the day, but as a part of what makes you your own individual.

However, with love comes the possibility of unrequited love… It is something that can be very painful. Your heart will be broken, your eyes will shed tears for days, everything that once brought you joy will be pointless as you spend your days trying to find out why she didn't love you. You'll begin wasting your life away as you hide yourself from the world, never wanting the world to see you in such a weak state. Before you know, you'll have become nothing more than a shell of your former self, the chance of you possibly returning almost none.

Now tell me, Saka Hikari. Which one do you want? Do you want everlasting joy, or eternal sorrow?"

He looked at her, his answer coming to him almost immediately because of instinct, but he stopped himself from answering.

 _'Is… is loving someone worth it? The joy… sounds good… but… what if she doesn't feel the same way?'_

"…How… how would I even know… if she'll return my feelings?"

"The only way is to tell her. If she feels the same way about you, then you both will experience a new form of joy."

"And… if she says no?"

"Then she isn't the one for you. If she isn't, you must either mend your broken heart if you wish to love again, or forever remain alone, a distant memory in everyone's mind as everyone else will find their special someone."

"But… how do I go about this? For all I know, it might not be my feelings but my mind subconsciously believing the only way to repay her for saving my life is to love her. And I've only known her really for a month, so how could I have feelings for her?"

"That is for you to figure out. And love comes without warning. It can happen in days, weeks, months, or years… yours existed already, and for a reason you will find out in the future."

He didn't say anything else, turning around to look at the road behind him and towards his home. It was then he realized what else she said as he turned to ask her.

"What do you mean I'll-"

He cut himself off when he realized she was no longer there. She had disappeared when he turned round.

He looked around and down the street, seeing no sign of anyone on either. He didn't say another word as he decided to go with it, taking a few steps back before turning around and heading home. As he walked, he heard the sound of his stomach growling, a slight ache coming from said spot.

"Great… hungry and tired…"

Had he stayed longer, he would've seen her peeking around the corner, watching him leave.

"Kuroka… if what you said was true… take care of him… He can be a real handful when he wants to… you should know this..."

* * *

 _Scene transition…_

* * *

Sunlight was one of many things that ruined sleep. It always decided to either illuminate the room or have its bright rays land on someone's face to force them awake. And it was doing the latter to her.

She didn't want to get up, snuggling herself deeper into the sheets and with the figure she was holding onto.

Despite her attempts, the light was persistent in waking her up. She gave a low groan as her eyes twitched. With great effort, she decided to push herself up and into a sitting position, lifting her hand to her eye to rub the sleep out.

Kuroka opened her eyes, cursing the sunlight that came through the window and disturbed her sleep. She looked to the figure she was snuggling with, expecting it to be a certain dark haired Hunter as usual, but she instead saw the head of white hair.

Her mind was still in a slight daze from having just woken up, but she began remembering last night with the talk she had with her sister. A small smile began forming from her lips. Her hand found its way to Shirone's shoulder, part of her wanting to wake her little sister so they could speak again, but the sister part of her said not to, instead looking down at the adorable sight of her little sister sleeping.

She moved her hand up, moving a bang out of her sister's face as her smile grew wider by a bit. Her legs found their way to the side of the bed, stepping out to touch the carpet below as she got out of the bed to make her way to the door.

"Big sister…" Shirone said as Kuroka stopped. She turned around, seeing her sister still asleep, but also with a frown as she looked afraid. "Big sister… please… don't leave…"

Kuroka frowned slightly, immediately going back to her sister. She climbed back onto the bed, keeping herself low as she whispered into her ear.

"Don't worry Shirone… your big sister Kuroka won't leave this time…" She said to her as she had her hand on her side, giving her the comfort she needed while in her dream. Her frown was replaced by a small smile, something that made Kuroka herself smile in response.

After a few minutes, she climbed off the bed again, this time leaving the room. However, the moment she stepped out into the hall, a rather delightful aroma passed by her nose. Curious into what the source of the smell was, she followed the scent. As she followed the scent, it began to become more and more clear into what it was.

Someone was cooking, and it smelled like that someone was good at it.

Her ears picked up on the sound of oil sizzling as there was the sound of something soft landing on something hard. She also began to hear the sound of the cook humming. A part of her began to grow excited at the thought of actually food compared to the food the hospital had. She'd rather starve than eat that stuff.

She came to the corner that was between her and the kitchen, the source of where the cook was making their dish. She was curious into who could cook something with such a delightful aroma, slowly peeking around the corner before she saw her suspect.

Saka was humming a small tune to himself as he flipped a pancake into the air, switching out the pan for a plate that already had a small stack on top. He smirked at his handiwork as he turned off his stove, turning around and putting his pan into the sink.

He turned around, his plate in front of him as he looked somewhat proud of what he made. But, he then also looked worried for some reason.

"And I did it again…" He mumbled to himself, but his mumbling was loud enough for her to hear. He took a step towards the exit, but he stopped when he saw Kuroka peeking around the corner.

She realized he spotted her, stepping out from the corner to move towards him. As she approached, the smell of the pancakes hit her with full force, her stomach responding to this in the form of a growl.

She stopped her approach with a slight tint of pink on her cheeks, her arms covering her stomach. Saka didn't take his gaze off her as he instead smirked slightly. He placed the plate down before reaching into cabinets behind him to pull out another. He moved half of the pancakes off from his stack and onto the second plate, pulling a fork out that he put on the side as he handed her the plate.

She looked at the plate with confusion, but her confusion was overruled by the sound of her stomach growling again. She took the plate without question, finding herself a seat along the counter.

She looked at the food in front of her, the smell almost calling to her. She took the fork and cut into the soft stack, picking it up before she put it in her mouth. Once she got a taste of it, she saw why it smelled so good before.

"…These are good…" She said in astonishment, looking at him as already swallowed his first bite.

"Should be. Made them from scratch." He replied to her as he continued with his breakfast.

She didn't need to hear anything else from him as she put her attention back to her own. She cut into hers again and pierced it with her fork before lifting it to her mouth to eat again. With each bite, she could taste not only the heat that came from them being freshly made, but also a delicious taste that was enhanced by the heat.

Neither took the time to show their breakfast any mercy, eating through the soft and fluffy stacks that he made. Both smiled from the taste of their breakfast, finishing their meals to leave almost nothing behind.

Once they finished, he took the plates and put them in the sink, turning on the water as he began cleaning them and the pan. As he worked, Kuroka wrapped her arms around his neck, bringing herself onto his back as she spoke into his ear.

"You can cook, clean, fight, and you're a Demigod from another world… if I don't hurry, you might make another woman happy instead of me."

"Hm…. doubtful."

"Oh?" She leaned closer to him as she looked curious. "And why is that?"

"I doubt a woman would like me like how you like me."

"Really? And why do you say that?"

"…" Saka mumbled something, and it was so quiet, even Kuroka couldn't hear it with her enhanced hearing.

"What was that?"

"Nothing…" He replied as he turned off the sink, raising his hands up as he dried his hands by using the heat of his Solar Light. "… You know, you could have told me your Senjutsu master was a Hunter."

"…What?"

"… Last night, when I left to let you and your sister reconnect- which seemed to have worked since you both took over my bed- I met a female Hunter. Her scent wasn't Human, nor was it of any other race back in my world. No… she was a Youkai. A Nekoshou, like you."

"I… I remember she wore armor… on some occasions… but… you said Hunters wear cloaks… she never wore one."

"Not every Hunter wears a cloak. Some lose their cloaks, others get rid of them."

"Where's yours?"

"Gone… I lost it." He said in a sad tone, a bit of his tone rubbing off on his expression. She felt pity for him, but she also felt sorry for him. "I… was meaning to get a new one… but I also planned on keeping it. A friend gave it to me… right before he died. But he also gave me a gun… before his passing."

"You've… lost a lot of people before…"

"Yeah…" He sniffled, some sadness having appeared within him as he pushed it down. "But… like I was saying. Your master found me and spoke with me."

"What… what did she say?"

"She didn't say much… she asked me… what my relation… to you is."

Neither said a word as all they could do was stand still, looking at each other.

"What did you say?"

"… I… I told her you were my friend."

Part of her suddenly felt sad, almost depressed by his words. But, he wasn't done talking as he continued.

"But she asked me if you were more than a friend to me… and I…"

She lost her sadness as she listened to what he said, waiting to hear what else he had to say. But, deep inside her, she almost felt like she knew the answer. Almost as if she too had an answer for him.

Before she could understand, his arms were already around her, holding her close. It felt deeper than the hugs they've given each other before in the past, one almost like he never wanted to let go of her. But, it also felt familiar for some reason.

"…I said you were more than a friend to me."

Her eyes grew large, her mind understanding what he said. She didn't give them the command, but her arms found themselves raising up behind him and hugging him.

Neither could properly explain the feeling both had. The best way they could was how the warm sensation from before had invaded their bodies again, deep within their chests as they could feel their hearts beating faster than before.

They looked at each other, letting their eyes meet. Keen emerald stared into stunning hazel, a sense of longing inside both. But deeper within, they could also see how both looked as if they were anticipating something.

"Kuroka… I… I… I love-"

He was silenced the moment her lips met his. His eyes grew wide in surprise, but a serene feeling began growing inside of him. He found his eyelids heavy, closing both as she did the same. A new sensation took over both their bodies, one that felt warm and calming.

Neither found the will to let go, holding onto each other as it was the only thing they could do. He felt a form of bliss jump into his body at the feeling of her soft lips against his, the faint taste of cream coming to him as she felt the same bliss enter her body, his harder, but oddly soft lips with hers as she was receiving the faint taste of chocolate. But, with the kiss also came another feeling to both.

Oxygen was the only thing both found needing, pulling apart. He looked at her, a stunned expression towards her as she had a smile towards him.

"You should learn when to stop talking…"

"… Noted…" He replied as he found his gaze transfixed on her smile. It was small, but at the same time, it was full of joy.

He then realized that with their kiss came the other feeling, one the hopes she also felt.

"H-Hey… during the kiss… did… did it feel… like we've done it before to you too?"

"…Now that you mention it… it did."

"But that… that was our first kiss… right?"

"Unless you and I somehow got drunk and forgot a possible one night stand."

"That… couldn't be possible… could it?"

They stared at each other, trying to think why it could have possibly felt as if they had kissed before.

"B-Big sister?" A familiar voice stopped either before they could really think about it, turning to see Shirone standing to the side as she was looking at them both. But, she also had red cheeks at the moment.

Kuroka smirked, grabbing Saka's arm as she turned to stand beside him, holding his arm within her own while leaning her head against his shoulder.

"Good morning, Shirone. Do you want to meet my boyfriend?"

He gave a nervous laugh while raising his hand, waving it towards her as she only looked at them both.

Whatever the strange feeling of them having kissed before was, would be something both would try to figure out later.

* * *

 _Meanwhile…_

* * *

"Is that a crocodile?" A Devil asked another Devil who was standing beside him, both in the middle of the desert as in front of them was a Nile crocodile.

"Looks like it…" The second Devil replied.

"What's it doing so far from the river?"

"Hell if I know."

They stared at the crocodile, the first one now moving towards it. The second one picked up a rock and threw it at the crocodile, hitting it in the head.

This got no reaction out of the large reptile as it made no movement at all. The first one slowed his pace in fear of an attack, stepping closer to the reptile as he poked it on the head.

Again, no reaction came from the crocodile. The second one caught up to the first one, looking at the crocodile himself. He saw a small bit of red underneath it, curiosity getting the better of him as he grabbed the crocodile by the side and flipped it over.

This revealed the bloody underbelly it had as there was a long cut going from the tail to the jaw of the reptile.

Before either could question why, sounds of someone groaning came from inside. From the cut, two hands covered in blood reached out and pulled open the cut, a man covered in blood coming out.

The man rubbed his eyes, cleaning some of the blood off his face as he turned to look at the Devils, his Void purple eyes staring at them.

"Hello… sorry that you had to see me in a mess like this. You see, I was hungry and needed shelter for the night." He reached into his pocket, pulling out a pair of glasses that was wrapped in a cloth that somehow kept them clean. He put his glasses on, looking at the Devils again. "Might I suggest crocodile? The meat is better than what many believe."

"…This our guy?"

"Purple eyes… dark blue hair… yep."

"…Remind me never to watch a show about surviving in the wilderness."

"Got it…"

* * *

The day has arrived they come together! And before anyone starts to question anything, this is planned. I said I planned my own custom arc entirely, and this was planned to be at the end. It's kind of like a puzzle at the moment, since everything will fall into place in the future.

Next we have everyone's favorite fried chick- I mean Lord Riser! This time, I won't skip to the end like how I only did the two chapters in the original.

Also, be on the look out for 400 Light Hunters wearing Iron Lord armor from the book and the Makeshift scarf. I'll either be wearing Superblack or the Hard Mode Shader. And remember, Xbox.

Little ticked Icebreaker is hard to get now since I have to Nightfall, but meh. A challenge is always nice when it's a tough strike.

Here's to hoping 2017 better than 2016!

Farewell, and let us meet next time.


	18. Chapter 18

I've kind of given up on Ghost. Nine episodes in and it's pretty... meh. It isn't that good. Ex-Aid is pretty good so far, especially with how catchy Emu's Gashats are. However, the more important thing to say is...

HAPPY ANNIVERSARY! It's been a full year since this story started and its made a lot of progress. Its had its ups and downs, but its come far.

Let's go to the reviews:

 **Redripper666:** Remember. guardians are used to fighting Fallen, Hive, Vex, Cabal, Taken, and now Splicers. They've never encountered anything like the Supernatural before, and his body is not as strong as those of Devils or Fallen Angels because he's only half Light. He's got endurance, but not as much as a Titan.

 **SilentMech:** The ship was docked for a while, but it's off in the ocean now.

 **Locke Lynx:** Kurosaka almost sounds like a name. But yes, they've taken their first step towards what I have planned for each other.

 **Squadpunk 2.0:** I was thinking Bear Grylls honestly. I remember an episode I saw once where he gutted a camel and slept in it.

 **Jebest4781:** More to come.

 **Wacko12:** Before. You'll see why. And yes, they are the main pairing of the story after all, so yes. They're a couple.

Issei's girls:

Asia: 20

Irina: 7

Koneko: 5

Akeno: 3

Xenovia: 3

Ravel: 3

People really love Asia. That's nice and all, but we need to show some support for the others so she doesn't win by a landslide.

Meh, onto the chapter.

* * *

Chapter 18: Fiery problems

* * *

Time was something many figures never kept track of unless they really wanted to. It was also something beings with long lives never bothered keeping track of unless they really needed to. As such, no one noticed how fast the past two months had gone by.

Over the past few months, nothing other than the occasional Stray Devil had caught their attention. Somewhere along the first month, Shirone had returned to Rias and apologized for running away. The Gremory Heiress forgave her and, had it not been for Kuroka, would have accidently smothered the young Nekoshou in her bosom.

Due to her presence, the Devils all turned their attention to said Black Cat. They were wary, and for good reason. Rias had apologized for attempting to kill her before, but she barely paid her any mind. Because of how she practically ignored Rias, her Knight and Queen felt offended by how she seeming acted as if their King didn't exist.

They had wanted to voice their opinion, but they were silenced the moment Saka had appeared. The Devils couldn't help themselves but stare at him in fear, remembering their past encounters where he either threatened them or almost lashed out at them. They were surprised to see him acting civil, almost like a man who had nothing to fear.

He spoke to them, not saying a word about their past encounters. Once he had finished speaking, he had turned and left. With him, Kuroka followed. Since then, the only communication either has had with the peerage of the Gremory Heiress was with Shirone, who came to his home often to talk with her sister, and also served as a messenger between both groups due to how she was already welcome to his home.

Since then, nothing too odd has happened. Keith had finally returned, so another good thing had happened. Saka had to inform him about the truth of how they got into the world of the Supernatural, and he accepted it without issue.

Again, nothing too odd or strange had happened in the past few months other than the occasional Stray Devil.

"Hold still you pest!"

Like now…

"Let me crush your disgusting body between my teeth!" A stray that had a large mouth growing out of its side yelled. From its mouth, one could see what could either be its tongues or tentacles- maybe both- coming out and trying to grab him.

"Hm… how about no." He reached down to his side, pulling a grenade out as he pulled the pin and threw it. The grenade found its trajectory to land perfectly against one of the tongues, a sticky substance holding onto the grenade. The fuze had reached its limit as the Incendiary exploded, burning the mouth and the Stray's body.

It screamed in agony, flailing whatever body parts it had in various directions. Its eyes landed on him, deciding to pull a last ditch effort to kill him with it as it rushed towards him. What the Stray didn't expect would be the three burning orbs of Senjutsu to attack it from the side, sending it onto its side.

It flailed again, getting up to its feet to turn towards the attacker. There, it saw Kuroka yawning, seeming to be a bit bored with the situation. Sadly, the Stray's vision went from her head… and down to her generous chest.

"A hot, busty Neko?! I… I must have her!" It turned its body towards her, its monstrous mouth expanding further along its body before its torso had split open from the head down to the waist, rows of teeth and flesh lining whatever sides of it looked even remotely Human.

It lunged towards her, its large mouth agape as it was prepared to bite into her. However, between her and it, a blur came into view as she smirked slightly.

"Sorry… but she's spoken for." Saka told the stray as he punched it in the hole in the middle of its jaw, his hand going into what may now be its throat before lifting his foot and kicking it off his hand, leaving his hand covered in a sticky, slimy ooze. He shook his hand, flinging some of the ooze off as three grenade pins also came from his hand.

They Stray's eyes grew wide in horror as it realized it had three small, spherical objects inside its stomach. It tried to throw them up, but it was too late as the grenades proved to be a Voidwall that burned it from the inside out along with two Flux grenades that found themselves snug inside its stomach, all of which exploding as it caused the Stray's sides to explode outwards, blood shooting out of its body.

It fell over, the strength to stand or attack now gone, and never coming back. Saka and Kuroka both walked towards the dying Stray, raising their hands in front of them as fire coated his hand, an orb of Senjutsu appearing in hers that grew larger than the ones before. He pulled the trigger as she released the orb, both meeting the Stray and killing it, the bullet of Solar Light burning the Stray's body into nothing more than ashes.

He looked at the slime still on his hand, using his Solar Light to burn it off before removing his armor. He turned around to face his girlfriend, seeing her already a step ahead of him as she already had planted a kiss on his cheek.

"Thanks for the help." He said with a smile, returning her action from earlier by placing a kiss of his own on her cheek. She smirked at him, a tired yawn coming from her. She created a magic circle, stepping through it as she jumped out the other side in her kitten form as she jumped onto his shoulder, snuggling against his neck before curling into a ball.

He stopped himself from giggling at the feeling of her soft fur.

It was then he heard the doors to the building open, turning around to look over his shoulder.

"Spread out and find… the…" Rias stopped herself midsentence at the sight in front of her. Her peerage stood behind her, looking around their King to see what had happened.

He turned around and began walking towards them. As he approached, they all looked at him. Once he got directly in front of them, he didn't stop walking, instead heading to the exit. He waved his hand behind him and towards the Devils.

"Might want to pick up the pace, Gremory. Any slower and who knows how many people could have died." He said to her as he left the scene, leaving behind only the Devils.

"…Are we sure he is Human? No Human can find Stray Devils so easily." Kiba asked Rias, who didn't say anything.

"Even though the Black Cat is with him, he also defeats them surprisingly fast." Akeno said as Shirone nodded.

"… Big sister is stronger than you think, Akeno…"

"Regardless… that's… another Stray he's taken care of before we could arrive." Rias said as she sighed, disappointment obvious. This concerned her servants as they looked at her.

"Rias… were you hoping this would bring your mind off… him?" Akeno said to her while also saying the word 'him' with Venom.

Rias said nothing, a silent nod all she gave them. Her peerage went quiet, all knowing who they were referring to.

"Rias, we know there is little any of us can do to stop him, but we know when the time comes, we'll be able to send him away." Kiba encouraged her, his attempt to cheer her up working as she grew a small smile.

"Kiba, thank you… it's just…" Her smile disappeared and was replaced by a frown and melancholic look. "My time is running out, and I've hardly expanded my peerage since this agreement was made by my parents. You are all strong in your own manner, but I'm afraid if our best just isn't enough to get rid of him."

She turned around to look towards where Saka had left with Kuroka, staring at the way he left. "I'm running out of time and options…"

"Rias…"

* * *

 _Scene Transition…_

* * *

"Oh crap!" Issei said as he jumped to the side, dodging the spear of light that was coming from above. He landed on the ground and flipped over onto his back, seeing another spear coming for him as he rolled to the side to dodge.

He scrambled to his feet, the Boosted Gear on his arm. He looked up in the air to see an airborne Raynare with another spear in her hand that she threw at him. Issei jumped backwards, avoiding the spear and its impact.

Raynare dived down towards him, holding a spear that she used to swipe at him. He saw her coming, panic coming to him as he stepped back, but his foot hit a crack in the ground that caused him to fall backwards.

He hit the ground with a thud, a light groan coming from him as he held the back of his head where the impact was. Raynare stopped coming towards him as her spear disintegrated as her wings came back into her back, worry towards the young teen in front of her.

"Um…. Ise? Are… are you ok?" She asked with concern, looking down at him as he looked pained with his head having hit the ground. From the side, footsteps through the grass came.

"Being aware of the surrounding area is an important aspect of a Guardian, so as to prevent the possible chance of an enemy attacking from the side or above. For you, you seem to need to watch out for cracks on the ground." Keith said as he looked down at Issei, holding his hand out towards the brunette. He saw his hand and accepted it, Keith pulling him up to his feet. "No enemy would give you the chance to stand back up if you were on your back on the ground. They'd kill you faster than you could say 'uh oh.'"

He felt a nervous gulp go down his throat. "Sorry… but I don't have eyes on the back of my head."

"Neither do I. Saka is a bit… questionable with his awareness, but he has only the pair in front. Asia, if you would."

"R-Right!"

She ran towards Issei, holding her hands in front of her as Twilight Healing's green aura appeared. She held her hands near the back of his head, where he fell on it. The pain on his expression began leaving as he felt the pain on the back of his head dwindle. Sadly, it didn't restore any of the energy he's already used this session.

Keith and Raynare watched the two from the side. Raynare turned her gaze from the younger two towards Keith, seeing he now had a necklace in the form of a black string and a tooth around his neck.

"…When did you start wearing that?" She asked, curious into why he had a necklace now.

"This?" He pointed towards the necklace, Raynare nodding as he answered. "Well, during my time in the Sahara, my water was running out as was my food. I went to the river to refill my water, and it was there a crocodile attacked me. I had sent a lethal bolt of Arc into its body, killing it instantly because it was also covered in water. Arashi suggested I use it for food, and I did. When night came, he informed me of a sandstorm that would be coming soon, so I had emptied the crocodile and slept inside it. I must say, Hunters do the strangest things for survival."

"You slept inside a crocodile?"

"Indeed. And it was quite cozy… minus the blood of course. And the meat was rather delicious."

"But why do you have its tooth as a necklace?"

"That was Saka's suggestion. In our world, wildlife still lives as the Darkness hardly touches them. Often, a Guardian would have to kill one for survival, be it defending themselves or for food. Once a Guardian does that, they often either take a scale, feather, tooth, or skin the animal to remember it, some adding it to their armor. In fact… I may go back for a second one." He said as a small bit of drool hung from the side of his mouth, ideas and images about how he can cook another one coming to his mind.

"Um… Keith. You're drooling."

"Am I?" He asked her as she nodded. He wiped the side of his mouth, wiping off the drool. "I am sorry. It seems I like crocodile meat."

"…Were… were you serious about going back for more?"

"Of course not. I was only joking."

"…You're not good at joking."

"…I've been told… numerous times…"

"…oh…"

"Well then!" Keith said as he changed his tone. "Issei, I suggest getting ready. Your rest time is over."

"Wait, what?"

"Now, I hope you are ready." He said as he brought his hands together, pulling them apart as Arc lightning cackled between his palms and along his hands. "Let's move onto training for fighting enemies at close range."

"What?"

"Don't worry… I'll only put in enough to sting."

"What?!"

Issei turned around and began running in an attempt to escape the Stormcaller behind him. Raynare stood beside Asia as she watched Issei with worry. Both watched the two males as Keith would occasionally send out a bolt of Arc lightning that Issei would either get hit by or dodge out of the way.

Raynare sighed at the interaction between them both as Asia looked too worried about Issei to take her eyes off him. Raynare saw this and placed her hand on her shoulder.

"Don't worry. Keith won't hurt him that much. Even if he did, Issei has you to heal him. After all, you make a cute couple."

This comment caused Asia's face to turn red.

"B-But Raynare! I-Issei and I-I aren't a c-c-c-couple!"

"I know that Asia. I was only teasing." Raynare said with a giggle afterwards, causing the blonde beside her to pout. This resulted in Raynare giggling again, finding it adorable how Asia could be embarrassed like so.

She looked up from her fellow female, towards Keith as her giggling stopped as did the small grin she had. Her hand found its way to her chest, above her heart as she looked at him, a sense of longing in her eyes towards the Warlock.

She remembers the day Saka and Kuroka revealed their new relationship, obvious by how Kuroka had kissed him in front of all of them as he made no effort to stop her, other than his attempt at telling her not to do such an act in front of a large group of people. Part of her felt envious towards Kuroka because of how she had captured the heart of a Demigod that came from another world. But, it was this act that also brought to her mind the question of who she may like in a romantic manner.

Her mind had drifted to an image of Keith in his Warlock armor, his head uncovered as he held Bad Juju in his hand, aimed at the dead army of Fallen in front of him as he held her by her waist with his other. He turned his head towards her, a blush coming to her imaginary self as her eyes closed, her lips coming for his as he advanced for hers.

She shook her head, getting rid of the image from her mind as a crimson blush had found its way to her cheeks. She looked up again, towards Keith one more time as Issei had turned around to actually attack the Warlock. She watched him as he made small dodging to either his sides or back to avoid Issei's fists, obviously more experienced in close combat than the Titan in training.

She watched them both, her eyes focused on Keith. Maybe, just maybe, she may like him… more than she thought.

* * *

 _Scene Transition…_

* * *

Saka stood in the bathroom, a towel in his hands as he finished drying his hair. He tossed the towel into a basket for him to clean later as he opened the door to leave, seeing his girlfriend in front of him as she had a towel herself.

Both of them looked at each other, smiling at the other as he stepped to the side, letting her in. He stepped out and turned around to look at her one more time, seeing her winking at him before she grabbed her obi to begin undoing her kimono.

He closed the door, leaving her to her privacy as he brought his hands together in front of him, popping his knuckles. He turned down the hall, heading towards the kitchen. Once there, he didn't spend too much time in said area as he quickly prepared himself a quick snack before sleep. He ate quickly, leaving just the dish for him to clean later before he went to his room.

He stepped inside and climbed onto his bed, pulling the sheets up as he slid in. Once in bed, he dropped the sheets back on top of him, planting his head against his pillow as he shifted a bit, finding a comfortable spot quickly. He smiled softly as he closed his eyes…

Only to reopen them when a flash of red came from in front of him.

Annoyance came to him faster than anger. He sat up, turning towards the source to see a familiar looking red magic circle, watching it rise up as a figure came out.

Rias Gremory.

He looked at her with some annoyance, a sigh coming from him as he didn't bother looking back at her by falling back onto his pillow.

"… What do you want, Gremory? If you didn't notice, I was just prepared to go to sleep…"

"I need you to help me with something…" She said to him, but he began to stop paying attention to her by snuggling under his sheets again.

"And that is? If it's another Stray, it's all yours…"

"I need you to take my virginity."

…

…

…

THAT definitely got his attention. He sat back up, turning towards her and looking at her as if she was the craziest person alive.

"… I'm sorry, but what?"

"I said I need you to take my virginity."

"I heard you the first time… my question is… what the hell? You don't just appear in a man's bedroom and ask him to have sex with you. I don't like you like that either. Hell, I hardly like you. And for Light's sake, I'm older than you."

"I don't care. You are the most suitable person for this as Yuuto wouldn't lay a hand on me and I'm sure Issei doesn't like me that much." She said to him as she undid the button on her corset, taking it off as she grabbed the zipper to her skirt, unzipping it as her skirt fell to the floor.

 _'Holy shit, she's serious about it.'_

She unbuttoned her shirt, leaving her in only her undergarments. She looked at him, seeing how he was pinching the space between his eyes .

"What's wrong? Am… am I not good enough?"

"That's not the issue here… the issue is the fact you expect me to pop your cherry."

"So I am not good enough…" She said aloud, a pleading look in her eyes. "What can I do to make you want me? My body is just like the Black Cat's, so is it you prefer girls with cat ears?"

"…How the hell do you jump to that conclusion? I'm serious… how in the name of Light do you jump to that kind of conclusion?" He asks her as she doesn't reply to what he said. He sighed with annoyance obvious while facing her. "… I'm not having sex with you, end of discussion."

"No…" She said to him as she climbed onto his bed, sitting in front of him. "Once they find out I've been ruined, he won't want me anymore. After that, I'll finally be free…"

 _'He?'_

She grabbed his arm, lifting it up towards her bosom. He didn't want to go along with what she was doing as he spun his arm around in her hold, weakening it to where he easily pulled his arm out before throwing it to the side as he grabbed the air and pulled back, his body following it as he used Blink to get out of the bed.

"Teleportation?!" She said to him in shock, never having seen him use Blink before.

"Wrong. Short distance spatial manipulation, not teleportation." He informed her as he turned around to look at her, a somewhat angry expression now on his face. It was then she also realized there was another occupant in the room.

"What are you trying to do with MY boyfriend?" Kuroka asked, almost demanding an answer from the Gremory heiress.

"Boyfriend? You mean-?!"

"Yes, it's exactly like she said." Saka said as he lifted his arm around Kuroka, putting it on her shoulder.

"I… I had no idea… I'm sorry, but I-"

She was cut off when another magic circle appeared in the room, this one a grayish white, but with it also brought a slight chill that caused both raven haired members to shiver slightly. From it, a figure began rising up, and it was one everyone was familiar with.

"Rias, do you have any clue the amount of danger you had put yourself in?" Grayfia said as she appeared from the circle, the light it made dying when she came through.

"Danger? The only danger I can see now would be the Black Cat attacking me."

"That is one of the dangers. The other would be Hikari himself. I am sure you heard of the new faction that has long been allied to the Devils, correct? The Guardians?"

"I had received the report a month ago and read every word, so yes. I assume that he is one of them because I've seen him use their abilities and weapons."

"While it is good that you have read the report, a key factor had been left out so as to give him peace from Devils or Fallen Angels."

"And that would be?"

"Saka Hikari is no ordinary Guardian. He is the sole being born from their God and another Guardian, thus making him a Demigod that could annihilate you with a single attack."

Rias' eyes grew wide in horror when she heard that, turning around to see him as his eyes changed to their sapphire shade once more as well as a subtly pulse of Light coming from him.

"Had you forced him into doing something like this, not only would Sirzechs be disappointed in your actions, you would have made enemies with not only the Black Cat, but her master who taught her Senjutsu, who I am sure you are familiar with."

Rias now looked afraid from what she was hearing, looking at Kuroka to see a glare coming from the Nekoshou in front of her.

"I-I see…" She said with fear evident in her tone. She got off the bed and grabbed her clothing, Grayfia assisting her in putting it back on. "I a-am so-sorry for d-disturbing you. Pl-please forget t-this ever happened." She said before making a magic circle for herself, leaving faster than she arrived.

Grayfia looked at them both, bowing towards as if she were apologizing. "I am sorry you had to see that. If you are curious into what may have caused her to perform such a rash act, I suggest coming to Kuoh Academy tomorrow as I will give you a full explanation should you want one. Now, it is better I go now before she tries something like this again without my supervision." Grayfia finished as she made a magic circle herself, teleporting away and leaving behind the only couple in the house.

"… Remind me to shoot her if she tries that crap again."

"Only if I leave any of her left when I'm done…"

"Fair enough." He replied. He then noticed she looked slightly different than before. "… You have your hair down."

Kuroka flinched when she heard that. It was true, her hair was not tied into the two loops she always tied them into, as her hair was let down to show her black hair that reached down to her hips, showing how long, smooth, and straight it really was.

"I didn't have the time to tie them. I came here when I felt her presence."

"Really? Well, I think long hair suits you."

"Nya?"

"You should wear it like that more often. You look better with it down." He told her as this caused her cheeks to turn a light shade of pink. She quickly covered it up by smirking at him, her arms going around him to hug him.

"Since it's you, maybe I will." She said as he returned the hug. They both shared a quick kiss before deciding to hit the hay. After all, they've got an explanation to hear the next day.

And it better be a good one.

* * *

 _Scene Transition…_

* * *

They stood in front of the gates to the academy, the school closed today for some sort of reason. He looked through the bars and towards the building that was far off to the side, looking older than the other buildings as trees also surrounded it.

He pointed towards it as Kuroka nodded, telling him it must be the building. She stepped towards the gate, her figure turning wavy as she easily went through the gate. He looked to the sides to ensure no one was watching as he jumped up to grab the top of the gate, pulling himself over easily as he landed on his feet.

They made their way across the school grounds, towards the building they were heading for as they entered. They walked through a few halls and up a set of stairs before coming across a double door, Kuroka sensing the other presences inside as she recognized them- mainly the one of her sister on the other side.

He lifted his hand up and knocked on the door, waiting for a reply.

"Come in." They heard the voice of Akeno say on the other side as they did, opening the door and entering the clubroom. Once inside, they saw all of Rias' peerage with her, including Grayfia. Rias was sitting behind the desk opposite of them, her hands together in front of her as she looked to be contemplating something.

Kiba and Akeno looked at Saka, both looking nervous as he could assume why.

Gremory must have told them what Grayfia told her.

Shirone looked towards them both, a very small smile coming to her at the sight of her sister. Kuroka saw this as she smiled to Shirone, waving at the youngest member of the room.

"It is good to see you again, Hikari." Grayfia said as she bowed towards him. Saka replied by bowing towards her in courtesy.

"The same can be said to you, Grayfia. It is better to meet again under more calm circumstances. Isn't that right, Gremory?" He said as the redhead across the room shrank a little. They made their way forward a bit as they stood behind the table in the middle.

"Now then, since everyone is here, it is time-"

Grayfia was cut off when a red magic circle appeared behind Saka and Kuroka, this one erupting in fire and the caw of a bird. Inside the flames, they could see the shadow of a man standing in it.

"Phenex…" Kiba said as Saka gave him a quick glance.

 _'Phenex? Like Phoenix, the legendary bird?'_

The fire extinguished itself to reveal the man who stood in the heat. The man was a handsome young man who looked also taller than Saka, near Keith's height as he had short blonde hair and dark blue eyes. He wore a burgundy blazer with gold embroidery on his left and matching pants to go with his black dress shoes. He wore a white dress shirt that he left unbuttoned only at the top, giving slight view to his chest. His arms were wide apart, almost as if he believes he had made a grand entrance before he spoke.

"Ah… and Riser has returned to the Human world." He turned towards Rias, a smug smile almost plastered to his face. "Rias, what a pleasure it is to see you again. I had finally found the time to come see you, my dear."

Saka kept his eyes on 'Riser.' Something about him seemed somewhat… familiar. Almost like he has some sort of trait like someone he knew, or knows. But, he can't quite remember who.

"Mind telling me who he is?" Saka asked the question to anyone, hoping for a reply. And he got one from Grayfia.

"This is Lord Riser Phenex, third heir to the House of Phenex as well as a High Ranking and pureblooded Devil. He is also the fiancé to the current heiress of the house of Gremory."

 _'Fiancé? So that's why…'_

* * *

 _Time Transition…_

* * *

Riser held a cup of tea in his hand, taking a sip out of it as his smugness hadn't diminished even a bit.

"Hm… the tea prepared by your Queen is delectable. Riser thanks her."

"Thank you for your compliment." Akeno said, but she took no pride in hearing what he had said.

Everyone but Rias, Riser, and Grayfia had gathered on the opposite side of the room, standing behind the couch. The Devils were watching him with their King as Kuroka held onto her sister from behind. Saka was keeping his eyes on Riser, his gaze not wavering anytime soon.

Riser's hands were playing with Rias, one twirling her crimson hair between his fingers as the other went down for her thighs. Before he could touch her, she stood up, getting his hand out of her hair.

"That is enough Riser. As I've told you before, I have no intention of marrying you. The man who will become my husband will be decided by me."

"Oh really? Rias, may I remind you the importance it is in keeping pureblood Devils alive? Due to the last war, we are still recovering our numbers. Your family made this engagement between us with the future of Devils in mind."

"My family made this decision because they are in a rush. For the last time Riser, I will not marry you." She said to him as he stood up, placing his hand under his chin to have her look him in the eyes.

"For the last time Rias, Riser carries the name of the house of Phenex. Besmirching our good name is not acceptable."

The Kiba, Shirone, and Akeno all took a step forward, looking as if they were ready for a fight. Riser noticed this as he turned to look at them.

"Riser doesn't care if he has to incinerate everyone in this room. You will return to the Underworld with Riser." He said as flames could be seen inside his eyes. In response, Rias' turned red to intimidate him.

"There will be no need for incineration." Grayfia said as she caught the attention of everyone in the room. "Lord Riser, Lady Rias… I am here by order of Sirzechs. As such, this means there will be no disruption of peace in any manner."

"When told such an ominous thing by who is known as the Ultimate Queen, even Riser knows when to stop."

"My Master knew a conflict of any kind would appear. As such, he told me of a last resort should communication be proved pointless."

"May I know what this last resort is, Grayfia?" Rias asked.

"Should Lady Rias put her personal preferences above those of her family, the only way to settle this properly would be a Rating Game between Lord Riser and Lady Rias."

Rias looked a little surprised by what she heard. Riser, on the other hand, only smirked in response.

"Riser has already played many Rating Games, and won most of them. Sadly, my unfortunate bride isn't even qualified for one." Riser said as Rias looked at him as if he had insulted her.

Saka kept his eyes on them, but he nudged Akeno as she turned to look at him.

"Can I get a rundown about Rating Games?"

"… Rating Games are often played by mature Devils who've assembled their peerage. Rias is too young to qualify due to her age and experience. Because of this, none of us have had the opportunity to participate. The Rating Game is often fought between the Kings and their peerage, which is why we also use chess pieces- the Evil Pieces- as the way to reincarnate Devils, as they are then given designated powers by the piece they used."

"In other words… you're all at a disadvantage."

"We've got more to worry about than that…" Shirone said as he looked at her before looking back at Riser.

"Rias, I just have to ask. Is this adorable group your whole peerage? They are all you have?"

"And if they are?"

 _''We're not.''_ Saka and Kuroka had the same thought in their head as they looked each other, turning back to look at Riser who then snapped his finger. This caused another magic circle with his family mark to appear, the caw of a bird followed by more fire as multiple figures appeared in the flames.

The first was a young girl with blue hair with four ponytails, two going up as the other two went down while she had light brown eyes. She wore a white haori with a red obi around her waist, a red happi on top with bandages around her forearms as she had a wooden staff on her back.

The second was a tanned girl with purplish-blue hair and brown eyes. She wore a bikini made of metal with a loincloth hanging in front of her while exposing her sides. She had a silver tiara with a red gem embedded on the forehead with matching earrings while she had a pink veil around her arms.

The next two were both dressed in maid outfits, both exposing their bosoms as one had light brown hair and dark brown eyes, as the other had dark brown hair and grey eyes.

The next two were twins, both young girls with turquoise hair with a yellow ribbon tied in their hair and blue eyes. They both wore a gym uniform consisting of a blue shirt with blue accents and black leggings, blue sneakers with knee high socks. One carried a blue bag as the other had a red bag.

The next two were another pair of twins. One had red hair tied into a braid and blue eyes as the other had blue hair tied into a ponytail and red eyes. Both of them also have light brown cat ears with black stripes and a piercing in one ear, something that looked rather painful if they were real. Both wore skimpy white sailor outfits with black skirts as they had orange ascots in different positions, the red one having red gloves as the blue had blue gloves.

The next girl had light brown hair with three red stripes in it with a grey eye on her left as the right side of her face was hidden behind a white mask. She wore a black jacket and matching jeans, both torn partially as her abdomen was exposed with her right thigh, with straps on her arms and legs.

The next one looked to be of Chinese descent as she had shoulder length black hair tied into two buns on the sides of her head and blue-green eyes. She wore a blue cheongsam with gold accents that revealed her chest, a white sash around her stomach with black armguards on her forearms.

The next one was a young girl with light brown hair with a white headband tied around her head with green eyes. She wore a full set of silver armor with black accents that looked to be a mix of European armor with the chestplate, gauntlets, and greaves, and Japanese armor with the hip plates and shoulders as she had a broadsword on her left hip and a dagger behind her.

The next one had long black hair with a dark blue tint tied into five long ponytails and brown eyes. She wore a white top with black accents, red shorts, and armored boots reaching her knees with matching gauntlets. On her back was a large Zweihander.

The next girl looked oddly similar to Riser. She had blonde hair tied into a pair of twintails with large, drill like curves with a red ribbon holding them and dark blue eyes. She wore a pink dress with white frills and a magenta bow on the front.

The next girl had black hair tied on opposite ends and light brown eyes. She had an excessively long kimono with a purple, orange, and pink color pattern.

The last one was a busty woman with long, wavy purple hair with a short bang reaching her breast as the other almost reaches her skirt with matching eyes. She wore a navy blue tunic with gold accents and a pale blue skirt with open sides. Black shoes were over matching thigh-high stockings as she also had a golden choker around her neck with jewels embedded inside. Over this, she had a white overcoat with black and gold accents with matching pauldrons as she had purple lipstick to match her hair and eye color.

They all turned towards him and the Devils around him, looking as if they were trying to intimidate them.

Part of him felt the urge to draw his sword and attack, but with Grayfia nearby, and her title as the 'Ultimate Queen,' he'd rather live to see the next day and not break Kuroka's heart with him dying.

 _'Now I know… Riser is a pervert who can't keep it in his pants. I don't know if I should say he's worse than Kyle, or say he's better since he already has a harem.'_

* * *

 _Meanwhile…_

* * *

A man who looked very much like Keith, but wearing Hunter armor suddenly stopped walking through the Tower, looking up to the sky.

"My harem senses are tingling…"

"Your what?" A Titan beside him asked in confusion, not believing what he just said.

"My harem sense. Someone I know either has a harem, or has just seen a harem… and I bet it's Saka too… that lucky bastard…"

* * *

 _Back there…_

* * *

Saka kept his eyes on the women Riser just summoned, his gaze examining each one. The blonde girl in the dress noticed this, looking towards him as she suddenly felt a shiver run down her entire body when she saw his eye color change to blue.

Riser noticed this and looked towards her.

"Ravel, why do you suddenly look afraid?"

"That one… the guy with the black hair."

Riser turned to look at Saka, who looked back at him as their blue eyes met.

"Yes, what about him?"

"He isn't a Devil… he's something else."

"So you can tell just by looking at me?" Saka said as he crossed his arms, a quick huff coming from him as he changed his expression to a more serious one. "She is right. I am not a servant to Rias, and I am not a Devil, nor do I wish to be one."

"Really? And just who might you be?"

"Saka Hikari. Guardian. Hunter… Child of Light."

"Child of Light you say? What sort of imaginary title is that supposed to be?"

"That is no imaginary title, Lord Riser." Grayfia informed him as he looked towards her. "He is the strongest member of the faction the Satans have revealed. He is the sole being born between their God and another member of their faction."

"… So you mean to tell me he's a petty half breed?" Riser said in a mocking tone as Saka's eyes furrowed. Akeno reacted slightly too, but not enough to get attention. "I do not understand why beings as high as the Supernatural get together with other members of other factions. I can't even fathom the idea of a God from another world creating a half breed with a lowly Human."

"And what is wrong with being born between two different species?"

"The fact some beings lower themselves to such a state. Half breeds are nothing more than pointless creations that never should have been birthed. Two species cannot become one with a child, as that child is nothing more than a monster waiting to be destroyed."

Saka's eyes were furrowed as far as they can be as he gave off the low sound of growling. Riser smirked at him reacting like an animal, but it was then his gaze had landed on Kuroka.

"Well, if it isn't the Black Cat herself." He began as he walked around the couches and towards her. Kiba, Akeno, and Shirone all backed away as Saka stopped his growling to listen what Riser had to say to her. "Had I known you were truly sane all along, I would have come find you to let you into my peerage. Sadly, that time is gone as I now have a full set.

"What a shame that is…" She said in a sarcastic tone, glaring at him.

"Do not worry, my dear. Riser can let you become one of his maids where we can get to know each other on a more… personal level." He finished as he licked his lips, disgusting the other Devils in the room. Riser lifted his hand, moving it for Kuroka's face as he was prepared to caress her cheek before an arm grabbed his and stopped him.

"Hands off." Saka warned him as Riser glared at him.

"Get your disgusting hand off me, you lowly half breed!" Riser said as his arm erupted in fire. Saka responded with kind as he set his whole body on fire with Solar Light, proving it to be fiercer than Riser's as he burned through his fire without a problem.

Riser pulled his arm away, a scream of pain coming from him as he looked at his arm to see Saka's Light had burned through his sleeve and left a black mark on his arm. His wound was covered in fire, an attempt to heal it as the fire went straight over it, hardly healing it all.

"Holy fire?! You damn half breed, do you know who I am?!" Riser bellowed while his entire form had been set ablaze by himself as Saka didn't flinch. "I am Riser Phenex of the glorious house of Phenex, yet you dare harm me?!"

"I dare." Saka responded as his Solar Light grew fiercer, a wave of heat in the room from both of them. "And I can do worse."

"Lord Riser, Mr. Hikari. I suggest stopping this now before I must intervene." Grayfia said as their flames were extinguished quickly, turning to look at her as she began releasing a cold wave of ice as some of the ground looked frozen already.

"Very well. Riser had let his temper get the best of himself." He said as he turned towards Saka. "However, this will not be over, half breed. As time to prepare, I will allow Rias 10 days to prepare for her Rating Game against me. After I win, I will challenge you to a fight between yourself and Riser. Should I win the Rating Game, Rias shall marry me immediately. And should I win our fight, I will also take the Black Cat from you and turn her into my concubine."

Kuroka looked disgusted by what she heard as she looked towards Saka. They all looked towards him, waiting for his answer.

"… No."

"What?"

"I won't fight you." He said as he put his hands into his pocket. "Why would I risk Kuroka for you when you already have fifteen women in your peerage- one of which being your sister. And because of what you said, should you win the Rating Game, you would also have Rias as your wife. So why should I put someone else's life on the line should I make a mistake?"

"Are you afraid you'll lose to Riser?"

"No… I don't want to waste anymore of my time than I already have with you. I feel like half of my brain cells have already killed themselves just from talking to you."

"Why you-! Mira!" Riser commanded as the blue haired girl with the staff stepped forward. "Teach this lowly half breed a lesson!"

"Right away, Lord Riser." She said as she took her staff off her back and held it in her hands.

Saka looked at her, closing his eyes briefly before reopening them to his emerald shine once more.

Mira dashed towards him, her staff in hand as she used her staff to jab forward and to his abdomen. He waited until the last second to grab the air above her, using Blink to jump into the air above her. Once above, he took out a knife that he promptly used to perform a Blink Strike onto her back.

He scratched her back with his knife as he quickly spun on his heel to deliver a quick kick to her shoulder. The force of his foot sent her down and onto her side a few feet away, her staff far from her as Saka turned to look at Riser once more, no smug or confidence anywhere on his face as Riser looked ready to pop a blood vessel.

He raised his hand, conjuring fire into his palm as he made an orb of fire. The Gremory group looked in horror at what they were seeing, but Riser's fire suddenly stopped.

"Lord Riser. Might I suggest leaving now before another blow to your pride may be dealt?" Grayfia suggested to Riser as he glared at her with pure rage. This was a mistake as she looked at him, raising her hand only partially as his entire body was suddenly engulfed in ice. "It seems Lord Riser has become a little too hot headed and needs to cool down. Should anyone else try to cause a disturbance like this again, I will not hesitate." She said as she turned her sight towards Saka, seeing the Hunter in front of her nod as he lost his posture to regain a calmer one. "Thank you. Now, as Riser said previously, there will be a 10 delay until the Rating Game begins. I suggest using that time to strengthen your peerage, Lady Rias."

Grayfia teleported away after she finished. Riser's peerage quickly gathered around him, creating a magic circle to teleport them away as the girl in knight armor grabbed Mira and took her with them.

The remaining Devils looked at Saka, Rias feeling fear again as Akeno looked at him with sympathy. Kiba looked at him without much emotion behind it, only shock by what just happened. Shirone looked at him without much difference in her usual attitude, rather, looking partially happy she was on good terms with him.

Kuroka walked around to him, standing next to him as he took a deep breath.

"Sorry… got a little angry."

"I can see that… why didn't you accept his challenge? You'd kick his ass faster than he can say 'crap.'"

"Because, he's too annoying. I'm not giving him the honor of fighting me since, as you said, I'd kick his ass a little too easy." He replied as he sighed, stretching his arms.

"Um… O-Out of c-curiosity… how s-s-strong are you r-really?" Rias asked with fear still in her tone. Saka looked over his shoulder and towards her before turning around and making his way for the door.

"Depends on how strong you think a God killer is. After all… I've killed three Gods and a being that controlled the fabric of time." He grabbed the handle to open the door, opening it and stepping out as Kuroka followed. They left, leaving behind the Devils.

"… And you wanted to reincarnate him into a Devil…" Kiba said as Rias didn't respond. Instead, she dusted her skirt, looking towards her peerage with a determined expression.

"We have limited time to prepare, so that means we have limited time to train for the fight of our lives. All of us are strong in our own way, but we need to become stronger to make sure we'll win. That is why we'll all be going to one of my family's cottages here in the Human world to train. Go ahead and pack whatever you may need, since we won't be coming back until the last day to rest. Understood?"

"Yes ma'am!" They all replied with vigor. Shirone, however, looked somewhat concerned. She watched the other members of her peerage begin leaving to go home and gather what they'll need.

Once she was alone, she reached into her pocket to pull out her phone, going to her contacts list and calling a certain someone.

 _"Shirone?"_

"Aunty… I need some help."

 _"Anything for you Shirone. What do you need?"_

"I… I want to learn the power I was born with."

 _"Are you sure, Shirone? Senjutsu can be a scary thing, even if learning from an expert like myself or Kuroka even."_

"Please… if you won't, I'll ask big sister. If she doesn't, I'll ask Saka to train me in combat… I… I need to become stronger… for Rias."

 _"… I'll be right there. Tell Rias."_

"Thank you… Aunty."

 _"Anytime."_

* * *

There isn't much to talk about down here, so yeah.

Farewell, and let us meet next time.


	19. Chapter 19

Dark souls, Destiny, Warframe, Siege... a lot of things have kept me preoccupied, and for that, I am sorry for how long it took me to write this chapter. I don't have an excuse other than I was focused more on my gaming, so like I said, sorry it took so long. That, and Breath of the Wild came out, so... yeah. But, I won't stop writing this story until I reach the end or I die, and I really hope it will be the former.

Let's move on before I can somehow make this grim.

Issei's girls:

Asia: 20

Irina: 8

Koneko: 5

Akeno: 3

Xenovia: 3

Ravel: 3

Again, Asia, Irina, and Koneko are winning. But like I said before, please show the other girls some support. Except Rias. Burn her to the bones.

Reviews:

 **Anonymous:** It kind of depends on how a Seraph whose kept her true self hidden from a Hunter in hiding will react to finding out a Hunter keeping himself hidden is allied to the Devils.

 **Crimson:** Near future looks a little bleak, so sorry. I won't stop writing until one of the two things I mentioned before happens, and I pray for it to be the former. But thank you.

 **Guest:** It might. It might not. How she escapes is for me to know and you to find out. And he might face consequences for trying to hit on Kuroka. Saka is a Hunter, and they're just as dangerous as any Guardian whose angry.

 **Guest:** Don't worry, Irina is definitely looking like she'll be with her dear Issei.

 **fresh prince1:** In the future.

 **Wacko12:** Somewhere and alive.

 **Locke Lynx:** Thank you. And considering a took a leap of faith almost when putting these two series together and it's been working out splendidly so far, I'm glad people are enjoying the story. And a Titan will appear in the future, one other than Issei.

 **SilentMech:** Everyone wants to punch Riser in the face. But he's already killed some of Saka's brain cells, so... yeah. He was very close to becoming not even ash.

 **Courier47:** I wondered how I would handle it, and I think I did pretty good too. But thanks for your opinion. Fucking with Riser is something that even us Humans can do, we just might want to wear some fireproof clothing. And with the 'Son of a God' thing, that was a leap I took. I remember reading a story back during Year 1 of a guy who made a Warlock who was a protector to the Traveler, and I thought "You know, what would happen if we make a Guardian out of a Demigod from the Traveler?" It's worked so far, and since it isn't broke, I don't need to fix it.

 **Greyjedi449t:** It will be coming out. I'll tell you what the next chapter is in the bottom section.

 **Jebest4781:** Thank you.

Onto the chapter everyone's been waiting for (including myself.)

* * *

Chapter 19: Dragon and a mystery

* * *

He opened his eyes, looking around him as he saw… nothing. He was surrounded by darkness, a void made of nothing but pitch black.

"What the…" Issei said to himself as he looked around, trying to see something that could show him where he was. But, no matter where he looked, there was nothing but darkness.

But, the darkness around him suddenly erupted in fire, scorching flames surrounding him as instinctively jumped to the side to try and avoid getting burned. The world around him was set ablaze, something moving through the fire as if it were nothing.

He stepped back, gaping at the sight of so much fire as he never could have believed it could be so hot, so large. It was then from the fire, a form rose up from the flames. The form was large, if not enormous and most definitely not Human. It was far too large to be Human.

He stared at the burning figure, feeling fear about what it could be. Whatever it was, he held his hand forward as he tried to summon his Sacred Gear.

Emphasis on 'tried.'

"It's- It's not appearing?!" He shook his left arm, hoping it would cause Boosted Gear to appear. What he was doing caused the large form to chuckle, the fire on their body slowly going out to reveal what they really were. Once Issei saw what it was, his eyes grew wider than saucers.

A large Dragon covered with red scales and two large Draconic wings from its back as it had a pair of green eyes, looking down at him as if they were examining him.

 **"** **Hmm… so this is my new host? You hardly even look worthy of the name Red Dragon Emperor."**

"H-Host? Red Dragon Emperor? Who are you… and what do you mean?"

 **"** **So it seems the Fallen one, the Cat, that so called 'Hunter,' and the Green one have all neglected to tell you who I am. I should have expected such from Plutinia after Tiamat."**

"Plutinia? Tiamat? … Those are two of the Dragon Kings Keith told me about…"

 **"** **So you know of the Kings? Perhaps you aren't a hopeless fool after all. Very well, it seems I will have to work with you until your time upon the mortal realm draws upon its end."** The Dragon said as it flapped its wings, sending a powerful gust towards Issei as he struggled to keep his footing. **"My flames have forever burned through my enemies until they are no more than ashes. I am the Welsh Dragon sealed within the Sacred Gear known as the Boosted Gear. I am Draig, the TRUE Red Dragon Emperor!"** Draig announced as fire erupted in his maw, breathing a torrent of flames towards Issei who rose his arms forward to protect himself.

It was then he shot up and out of his bed, his sheets falling off him as he was covered in sweat. His breathing was fast and rapid, his hand coming to his head to hold himself as he began taking slower breaths, slowing his breathing until it reached a normal level.

Once he felt calm enough, he looked at the back of his left hand, seeing a green glow coming from it in the shape of Boosted Gear's gem that was on the back of the gauntlet. From it, he could hear the faint sound of Draig laughing that slowly began disappearing with the light.

He dropped his hand, a tired sigh coming from him as he fell back onto his pillow. He looked up at his ceiling, eventually finding it hard to look away.

"What… was that about?"

* * *

 _Time Transition…_

* * *

He ducked, dodging the burning Light that came from the Warlock's hand before he brought his fist towards his face. Keith easily dodged by jumping to the side, creating a grenade in the palm of his hand that he threw towards Issei.

He saw the grenade, jumping to the side to avoid it as the Storm it called released a small, concentrated lightning storm where he previously was.

 **[Boost!]**

The Boosted Gear on his left arm yelled out, feeling his strength increase as he turned towards the Warlock, stepping forward as he pulled his fist back before sending it flying.

Keith tilted his head to the side, the gauntlet barely missing him as he channeled Arc lightning into his hand, placing his open palm on Issei's abdomen before releasing the charge.

He jumped back, static running over his skin as he jumped a few times because of the pain. He began hitting his abdomen lightly to try and minimize whatever pain it may be feeling, but he didn't see Keith had taken the opportunity to run forward, hitting Issei straight in the chest with his fist.

He stumbled backwards, almost losing his balance and falling before he regained his footing, wincing in the pain of the attack. He clenched his clawed hand, an ember falling from his hand before it was followed by another.

Keith looked at this, some anticipation inside him. When he saw nothing more than a few embers that all died upon touching the ground, that anticipation left him as he sighed.

"Break time it is then…"

"What?"

 **[Reset!]**

The Boosted Gear said as Issei's body shook, falling to his knees as the extra power he had just left him, exhaustion taking over.

"Awakening your Light is our first priority. Sadly, all I'm seeing right now are the occasional sparks of Arc and the few embers of Solar, not a speck of Void. If anything, this training is only increasing your endurance."

"Isn't that a good thing?"

"For Titans, yes. Strength and enormous endurance is something they specialize in. I wish I could say the same for Warlocks, but we're more focused on conjuring Light instead of physical combat." He brought his hands together, using both of them and turning his arms to pop his shoulders before reaching into his pocket and pulling out his glasses.

"You're not good at punching? But your hits hurt like hell…"

"If you think mine are bad, you should see Saka's when he's been stripped of his weapons. Those punches are more powerful than mine, but not as strong as our best Titans. He's put nearly all of his time into his agility, marksmanship, and swordsmanship."

When he said that one word, nearly all of his attention went to it.

Marksmanship.

"Hey… if we keep going, when will you teach me to shoot?"

"What?"

"I mean… you guys use guns kind of often. If I'm training to be a Titan, won't I need a gun?"

"Yes, it is true that almost every Guardian uses a gun, we are limited in our arsenal. If we were to give you weapon, it would have to be a scout rifle for you to understand recoil because of their low recoil but consistent fire rate."

"Scout rifle… those are those semi-automatic ones you use, right?"

"Indeed." He snapped his fingers, Tlaloc appearing in his hands as he turned to the side to aim down the sight. "Scout rifles are most commonly used by Warlocks because we lack physical strength like Hunters and Titans. Semi-automatic also enables us to easily maintain a consistent fire rate while also hitting enemies in critical areas- a critical hit, if you would. They come with relatively low recoil and often excel at medium to long range engagement because of this fire rate and the scopes many come with, miniature snipers almost if their caliber were higher." He pulled the trigger, the special Omolon liquid ammunition forming into a solid substance in the form of a bullet in the barrel before flying out of the gun, striking a tree. He pulled the trigger again, resulting in the bullet hitting the same hole as he pulled again, and again, and again.

In seven shots, there was a bullet sized hole perfectly straight in the tree, a small dent in the one behind it as they could see through the tree because of it.

"If anything, scout rifles are by far my favorite. Saka prefers hand cannons for their power and relatively small recoil, but easy to manage size as well as auto rifles for their repetitive fire and usually medium sized magazines. He prefers keeping his enemies in close or medium range."

"O… k? Why tell me?"

"Should he train you, there is the possibility he may also kill you. Holding back is not in a Hunter's dictionary, so if you would like the live, I highly suggest keeping your distance from him. And should you see a red light, from him towards you, you should either run or hide. He is very proficient with a sniper."

"O-Oh…" He felt a little color drain from his body, his skin developing a slightly whiter shade.

"Don't worry. He won't purposely kill you… He'll try his best to ensure the bullet misses you, but his instinct with a gun always makes him aim almost directly at the head of any creature. Except for Vex… then he hits them in their abdomen area. … That doesn't help, does it?"

"N-No…" He said with a fearful voice, part of him now shaking.

"Hm… I thought that would have been more encouraging. Perhaps I do need to work on my wording."

 **[Perhaps you should stop trying to awaken powers that have yet to fully manifest and focus on the ones this boy has already.]** A bellowing voice spoke, the source coming from Issei.

Keith failed to realize this as he directed all of his attention in finding the source of the voice.

"What in the world?" He asked no one in particular as he turned around to try and find the source of the voice, failing to see nobody but he and Issei.

 **[I'm right here you so called 'Warlock.']** The voice spoke again, this time more obvious in its location as Keith saw the source as the green gem on the back of the Boosted Gear.

"By the Light…"

 **[And I thought you were supposed to be the smart one. I highly doubt Plutinia has informed you of us, much less awoken yet because your strength is almost pitiful. That 'Hunter' of yours would have made for a much better host for the Elemental Shackle than you.]**

"Pardon?" Keith asked, half curious into what the voice mean't and half insulted by what the voice said.

 **[I said you are almost not even worthy for the power of a Dragon. Your strength is pitiful, having relied on that 'magic' and those 'guns' of yours. Do you believe bullets from petty Human weaponry will harm beings of the Supernatural?]**

"What in the world are you?" Keith said as he stepped towards Issei, grabbing him by the Boosted Gear while staring into the gem.

 **[As I said before, I thought you were supposed to be the smart one. It seems like I was wrong to think so.]** Keith's eyes narrowed in annoyance by what the voice was saying.

"Kakoye pravo vy dolzhny skazat' eto? (What right do you have to say this?)" Keith said with a slightly angry tone, his English gone and replaced by Russian, almost similar to Saka losing his English and speaking Japanese. He realized his mistake as he covered his mouth, turning around so not to show his face.

 **[As amusing as this is, it's best we stop this sideshow. Because of you, my host had finally become strong enough to hear my voice, and for that, I thank you.]**

Now he didn't know what to say. He kept his mouth shut as he turned to look at Issei, his hand reaching for his eyes as he took his contacts out and stored them to switch them for his glasses.

"…Training is done for today. Go ahead and go home."

"W-What? Why?" Issei asked as he got back up to his feet, the soft laughter of the voice coming from his gauntlet before fading into silence as the Boosted Gear disappeared with it.

"It seems I have to rework with your training. The voice is correct in how it is easier to let hidden powers awaken themselves as you focus on ones you already have. I'm going to be removing all training sessions that would require you to have Light. Now, go home and clean up. Ty besporyadok. (You're a mess.)" Keith finished as he left, leaving Issei to himself.

"… Was… was that Russian, or…"

"Issei!" The familiar voice of Asia called out to him, making him turn towards the source of her voice.

"I'm coming Asia!" He responded to her, completely forgetting what he was just talking about before he too left.

* * *

 _Scene Transition…_

* * *

Sirzechs sighed as he finished the mountain sized stack of papers that were once on his desk. He smiled as he finally saw the perfectly polished surface of his desk once more, the last time he saw it being somewhere among a decade or so ago.

His smile was sadly removed when the door to his study was opened, and from it his Queen came in.

"Lord Sirzechs, a Devil from Russia came to report a discovery of his whilst he was out hunting. He says this discovery is very important."

"Is it? Then bring him in."

Grayfia nodded as she opened the door, letting in a Devil wearing a large coat covered by some snow. In his hands was something wrapped in cloth.

"Greetings, Lord Lucifer. As I am sure Miss Grayfia has told you, I found something rather… peculiar during one of my hunting trips." He spoke with an accent behind his words, Sirzechs raising an eyebrow to what this discovery may be.

"Very well. I assume it is in that wrapping in your hands."

"Da. (Yes.)" He grabbed the cloth and began taking it off revealing the item that was previously wrapped to Sirzechs.

When he saw what it was, his eyes grew wide in surprise.

"Oh dear… This will be an interesting talk."

* * *

 _Scene Transition…_

* * *

He walked into his cousin's home, taking his shoes off as he sighed. He hardly understood why a Sacred Gear would begin talking to him, even telling him he was wasting his time trying to awaken Issei's Light.

But, the more he thought of it, the more he could see the voice was right. He too had to wait before his own Light began manifesting within him before he could begin learning the arts of a Voidwalker and Sunsinger, along with how he was a naturally born Stormcaller.

He almost let out a sigh of defeat, but realized his pride as a Warlock would not let him. He held some pride as his position as one of the brightest Warlocks to date, a title he knew he'd carry with him for the rest of his career as a Warlock.

It was then his nose picked up a not-so-nice smell. He lifted his arm near him, sniffing his arm as he found himself having a bad stench.

 _'_ _Hm. It seems as though I may have worked too much this time. It seems I need a bath.'_ He decided to head towards the bathroom, walking calmly through the house as Arashi separated from him halfway to do his own business and give Keith privacy. He opened the door to the bathroom, stepping inside and closing it behind him.

As he entered the entrance room, he began hearing sounds coming from the bathroom. He looked to the counter to see no clean clothes there, awaiting someone to get out of the bath to put on. He raised an eyebrow as he looked towards the bathroom again, looking through the translucent door between the rooms, making out the blurry form of a figure.

The figure was on their knees when he looked through, but soon stood up to their feet. They raised their hand to their head, seeming to be wiping their forehead of something, most likely sweat or some sort of liquid that may have splashed on their head considering what room they were in.

The figure stretched their arms for a second before they turned to the door after separating, opening to reveal a certain midnight haired Hunter.

Saka stopped halfway through the door when he realized Keith was in front of him.

Keith stared at them, partially confused as he realized his shirt was slightly wet.

"Oh, hey. Didn't know you got back." Saka said, sounding oddly calm in this situation as Keith wondered why.

"Indeed. Might I ask why you were in the bathroom with wet clothing?" He asked them both.

He raised an eyebrow to what he said before looking down at himself, seeing his shirt clinging to his body due to the water it has absorbed.

"This? I just cleaned the bathroom, what else?"

"Really? I had thought you had forgotten to take your clothing off before bathing again."

"… That was Kyle. He got drunk, remember?"

"… No, I don't. … Are you sure it was him?"

"Positive. I remember because he had found a bottle in the garbage and drank it, and we found out he has very low alcohol tolerance. That, and he was underage."

"… I blame this blasted memory loss… Sometimes I question if some of the memories I have recalled are even true."

"You can't have fake memories, Keith. It's impossible for you to have fake memories."

"Says the first Guardian to be reborn with all their memory intact." Keith countered, a sigh coming from him. "I may have remembered much, but I question my own memory. There are things I seem to recall that I do not properly remember."

"Like what?"

"Like… I can for some reason remember a… girl with us during our childhood."

"You mean Saiko?"

"Who?"

"My older sister."

"… You have a sister?"

"…Had. She died."

"Oh… I… I do recall a funeral… but I don't remember who for."

"Yeah… it's… yeah…" His expression went down as he adopted a somber look. Keith became worried at the sight in front of him before Saka coughed. "It's in the past… so don't worry about it…

Oh, and by the way Keith, I can smell you from here."

"Yes, I know that. That is why I had hoped to come here and take a bath to rid myself of this foul odor." He said as he then seemed to remember something, reaching into his pocket to pull out a paper that he held out towards Saka. "Also, I had wanted to talk to you about this."

Saka looked at the paper before taking it and opening it to read the contents.

"… You're renting an apartment nearby?"

"Yes, and we'll be moving today. This way, you won't have to worry about having to pay more for food or water. I even spoke about this with Raynare and she says she wants to come with me, which is why the apartment has more than one bedroom."

"Where are you going to get the money?"

"I'll have Arashi transform some glimmer into the local currency before I can find a suitable job to manage myself. Raynare has also said she will assist in this by finding a job herself."

"Really?" He asked before a soft chuckle came from his throat, followed by a small smirk. "What are you? A married couple?"

"T-That is preposterous." Keith denied what he said, showing no signs of wanting what he said to happen. But, the stutter in his speech proved otherwise.

Saka looked at him as his smirk grew slightly bigger. Keith felt a shiver run down his spine when his smirk grew bigger, feeling as though he knew something he didn't. The sudden urge to question him came to him, but stopped himself from speaking as he began to leave the room.

He saw Saka leave before closing the door behind him, leaving him by himself. A tired sigh came from his mouth as he reached up and pulled off his glasses before folding them and placing them on the counter. His vision became very blurry for everything a few feet away, almost impossible for him to identify. He grabbed the hem of his shirt and pulled it off, revealing the scar on his left chest, over his heart.

He was glad the bullet had long since left his body.

He suddenly felt a chill run through his body, feeling as though he sensed something very cold coming nearby… maybe in the same building as him.

He brushed it off as it was most likely the air conditioning. He knew Saka was never a fan of the cold, but perhaps said Hunter changed more than he thought.

But now that he thought of it… if Saka did know something he didn't… he could help but find it ironic.

* * *

 _Meanwhile…_

* * *

"I… suppose this isn't a friendly visit… is it." He asked as Grayfia nodded.

"Something has come to Sirzechs that may be of interest to you. Or, perhaps I should say it is something you must see with your own eyes."

"Ok… lead the way."

"Is the Black Cat is coming with?"

"No, she won't. She's… well, she's catnapping."

"I see. Very well, if you would please step into the circle."

He did just that as he stepped forward, a white magic circle appearing beneath them before taking both away.

Scene Transition…

Gabriel smiled happily as she finished wiping the last table in her café. She looked down at the newly clean surface, seeing her reflection from its new shine. She turned around, looking at the rays of light coming from the setting sun outside as they began dimming by the passing second.

"Sunlight… it's the natural light of the world… I guess you can call it the mother of life."

She jumped when she heard the voice of someone, turning around to see who spoke as there was no one there.

It was then she realized it wasn't someone speaking, rather, it was her remembering something a certain someone said to her once. She calmed herself quickly as she placed her hand over her heart, feeling her slightly faster beating heart.

"Gabriel, I would like to speak with you."

"EEK!" She jumped again, turning around again to see a face she was familiar with.

Standing in front of her was a handsome-looking man with long blonde hair and a pair of oddly sad looking green eyes. He wore a red robe with grey on his sides, a white belt around his waist with a red cloth holding a white cross hanging in front of his legs. Over his shoulders were golden pauldrons with another robe hanging around the one he wore already.

"I apologize, sister. I had thought your sudden jump before was you realizing I had come."

"Sorry, brother. I had thought someone else was with me, but it was me remembering the words of a friend."

"I see. Now, I must make this quick so I can get back to managing the system. I had received word that the Devils have finally announced their ally relationship to the beings I encountered during the Great War. These… Humans and oddly almost cosmic like skinned people who could control light. They call them… Guardians."

"Guard… ians?"

"Yes. They haven't released much information about these… Guardians… but they gave us a decent amount to know we should be wary, as they have grown stronger than the time I met them in the war. I say this because I never told you this before, even after Father left… but these Guardians… they are beings that cannot die."

"What?" She asked, not fully understanding what he mean't. "But I heard you and Metatron had slain them before."

"We did, but I should be more clear. While we did kill them… they somehow, through some form of unknown magic, had returned to life, almost as though they never died before."

"What? But that should be impossible. You said they can manipulate some form of light, correct? No matter what type of light or holy power is used, the power of necromancy is impossible to be used with such power."

"That is what I fear. I do not believe it was necromancy these beings used. No, I believe it is the power of… a form of third party, beings with the Guardians we could not see."

"Are they allied with Youkai too?"

"That is unlikely. While I have spoken with Yasaka once before, she had stated clearly she was in no rush to ally her people with any faction of another kind. The only possible chance for the Youkai to ally themselves with any of the three factions would be if the world were under threat from a dire situation."

"I heard Yasaka values her people more than her own life, willing to sacrifice herself for them if she needed to."

"I wouldn't believe it had I not met her myself. Another thing I must tell you is that I must warn you. Due to an incident before they revealed the Guardians, they had also spoken of two beings… one of these being far more powerful than all of them, as they see this one as their God. Next would be the living offspring of their God- a Demigod of light."

"A Demigod of Light?" She asked with curiosity, but it was then the image of Saka came to her mind when she remembered how he seemed to have an oddly high affinity with light.

"Yes. They call him… the Child of Light, but they also call him a… Hunter of Light."

"Hunter?"

"I do not know either. But, it is trivial that should you meet any Guardian, you inform me or your brothers about it. We do not know their full power anymore, but their power to come back from the dead is enough to prove a threat to any supernatural being. I wish for your safety if you do encounter one and they prove to still be hostile to Angels."

"I will, brother."

"Thank you. Now, Raphael had told me of how my dear little sister has been speaking of a man recently. Has the Most Beautiful Woman in Heaven been smitten by a Human?"

"W-What?!" She exclaimed, her cheeks red now as she began shaking her head and her hands in front of him, trying to deny what he said. "N-No! It's not l-like that! I-I see Saka as a friend of mine! He's just very helpful with my café and very k-kind!"

"So his name is Saka, hmm? Gabriel, as your brother, I am happy to hear that you have found a man who you like. But, you must remember to keep it pure, and never give in to lust of any kind."

"B-Brother! It isn't l-like that!"

"Do not worry, my dear sister. I only hope for your future. Now, I must return to Heaven to ensure nothing has had the chance to hurt the system." His body was covered in a bright, golden light. Had Gabriel not been used to seeing such a bright light, she would have had to cover her eyes, but once the light dimmed into small particles, seeing that her brother was now gone.

She let out a tired sigh once he was gone, a slight look of annoyance in her eyes as her cheeks were still a bright shade of pink.

"I don't like Saka like that… he's too distant for me to like him. And… for some reason… I feel like he likes someone else already." She said before grabbing the rag she used to wipe the table, leaving for her office in the café.

* * *

 _Scene transition…_

* * *

The doors to the study opened as Saka stepped through, his attire nowhere near looking as though he was about to speak with leader of a major faction.

His eyes immediately went to Sirzechs, his gaze meeting the Satan in front of him. His gaze then went down to the cloth that was wrapped around something small, the shape looking… almost familiar.

"It is good to see you again, Saka. I assume you're doing well?" Sirzechs started as Saka nodded.

"Depends on what your definition of 'well is. If it means, 'finding an oddly high amount of Stray Devils in the area,' then yes. I'm doing well."

"An oddly high amount of Stray Devils in the area? I'll have that looked into. I am sorry that you have to clean up the mess of our kind."

"No problem. Keeps myself from getting rusty, and helps me grow more proficient with my sword."

"I believe you. I've seen Guardians, and almost none of them use swords. None use them as effectively as you do… so the rumors say."

"Yeah… So, getting to the point… What do you have that may be of interest to me?"

"That would be this." He motioned his hand to put Saka's attention on the item wrapped in the cloth. "I suggest seeing it yourself."

He looked at him before doing just that. He stepped forward and grabbed the cloth, pulling it off the item inside. Once he could see the item, his eyes widened in shock at what he was looking at.

"What-?!"

In front of him… was a Ghost. Thankfully, it was not his Ghost, obvious by the green and darker shade of green colors on the shell… or what remains of it. Cracks were all over the Ghost, pieces of the shell missing as the lens on the core was destroyed, not a single light on the Ghost.

"A Ghost, I believe you call them." Sirzechs spoke again, standing beside him as he looked down at the broken Ghost. "I've hardly even seen them because they are often hiding somewhere with Guardians, so the only ones I've seen are the Speaker's and the one here."

He didn't say anything as he moved his hands, picking the Ghost up in his hands as it felt… cold. Very cold.

He lifted it closer to his face, letting his eyes examine it further.

Broken shell, destroyed lens, the core looked damaged…

He couldn't even feel a speck of Light from it.

"… Where did this come from?"

"A Devil brought it in, finding it on one of his hunting trips in Russia."

"Russia? What a Ghost is doing so far from its Guardian is what I need to know…"

"We haven't the faintest. I was hoping that you could inform me about what a broken Ghost like this could mean."

"It can mean a few things… One is the Ghost and Guardian were unfortunate enough to get separated and the Ghost was killed, another is someone killed the Ghost after they killed the Guardian… but I'm not getting the same sensation from this Ghost… it didn't have a Guardian's life in it when it died. But of course, the worst would be if the Guardian killed their own Ghost… meaning we've got a Rogue Guardian on the loose.

Sadly, whenever this Ghost died, it was long ago. Few months at best. Have there been any reports of potential Guardians accidentally arriving in this world like me?"

"None. We've managed to find the cause of how you and your Warlock companion have come to the world through the gates of the Vex, and immediately fixed the problem by sealing the fissures around the world. The only way now is through the portal."

"Keith and I are the only active Guardians in this world, right?"

"In the Human world, yes. In the Underworld, few Guardians are out and assisting us whenever a skirmish between Devils and Fallen Angels happen. It's occurred much more often since the Fallen Angels set up the Grigori in the Underworld."

"I see… so the chance of a Rogue Guardian are next to none… that's good. Even a new Guardian's Light would be deadly against a Devil. But that doesn't answer the question…"

"Why this Ghost has been damaged like so?"

"Yeah… Like I said, whatever did this did it months ago. If it was recent, there would still be a small glimmer of Light, but this Ghost has gone completely dark…" He placed the Ghost back on the table, looking down at the former Guardian ally while he kept his eyes on it, not wanting to pull them away from anything. "The best way to find out what happened to the Ghost would be to have it show us itself… but it's dead…"

"So Ghosts are not capable of coming back to life like the Guardian?"

"No… Guardians rely on the Ghost to bring them back when they fall in combat. When a Ghost dies, they're gone for good. This makes it even worse since there's a limited amount of Ghosts in the world."

"What do you mean? Do you not simply create the core and shell, then infuse it with Light?"

"No… The Ghosts were made by the Traveler using his final breath, and he only made so many. The good thing is that there are thousands of Ghosts, almost all of which having found a Guardian. Only the Traveler can make a Ghost, and he's… yeah."

"If I may, how many Ghosts do you believe there still are in the world alive?"

"Not a clue. The Traveler made a lot of Ghosts, so many that no one was able to count. But if I were to take a guess? I'd say about twenty, maybe nineteen thousand remain." He finished as he raised his hand to his chin, entering his mind to think.

'Ghost attacked in Russia months ago, no Guardian nearby most likely as it didn't have the life of its Guardian inside. Can't be a Rogue Guardian because they would have also broken the Ghost into nothing but pieces. Not many beings in this world know of the Ghosts, unless it was lucky enough to kill the Guardian twice and realize the Ghost can bring them back.

Whatever attacked it also managed to break the special Light infused plates that make the shells, so it must've been strong. Or perhaps, because this was months ago, the Ghost died and was thrown into a Vex gate, ending up here…'

He looked at the Ghost one more time before he realized something… odd about one of the cracks on the shell. He leaned towards it to look closer as he realized.

It wasn't a crack.

It was a mark made by cutting into the shell.

And that cut… was the Roman numeral for one.

"You don't mind if I take a picture of this, right?"

"Go ahead. The Speaker will be here tomorrow to take the Ghost and give it a proper resting place."

He reached into his pocket and took out his phone, immediately going to camera as he took a picture of the Ghost, specifically on the side where the number was. He then put his phone into his pocket before turning to Sirzechs.

"I've done all I can with examining it, so sorry if it wasn't enough."

"Don't worry. I merely wanted a Guardian's input on this. Now, before you go, I had planned to give you this." He reached into his robe as he pulled out a book. Saka looked at it with confusion before he grabbed it and looked at it, seeing book had no title as it looked more like a journal.

He opened the first page to see it was a journal, only it had contents he already heard.

"This is Malphas' journal. Isn't this evidence that isn't supposed to leave a special vault or something?"

"What you are holding is a copy. The original is kept within a secure vault where we store all evidence from crimes. I've also gone through the original to make this copy, as I specially included information that seems rather… odd."

"What do you mean by 'odd?'"

"While the journal was used by him to record his daily activities when he had reincarnated the Black Cat, he also ranted about various things. One of which, being that of how his Queen reported not finding just Kuroka and Shirone, but a third Nekoshou child when he reported to Arundel about their existence."

"A third Nekoshou? So you're saying they have another sibling?"

"Possibly. His words were vague, but in the journal, he said this… 'I know where Shirone is, but she is of course out of my reach due to her master. I wish I could have her with Kuroka for my research, but now I will simply use this knowledge as a card I can use against Kuroka when her use to me is no more. The thing I regret the most is not being able to capture that third Nekoshou. This third Nekoshou was also older, so they may have had a stronger body body would most likely be more durable than theirs, but since I managed to take Kuroka, they had suddenly disappeared. Almost as though they completely vanished from this world.

For some reason, this Nekoshou's disappearance also put Kuroka into a state of depression- and I could see the few times I watched her Master train her that Shirone- whenever that wench brought her- was also depressed at his disappearance. This leads me to believe that they have an older sibling I was unaware of, and if this is true, it that they chose to disappear to grow stronger and come kill me to protect their sisters.

Thankfully, that is why my Queen has been undergoing a special experiment I've made that involves a special serum I've created using Kuroka's blood, hoping this will give him a high resistance to the natural powers of the Nekoshou. So once their 'sibling comes to save their sisters, my Queen will easily overpower them… and then I will have one more test subject.

After note: It has been a week, and for some odd reason, both of the Nekoshou sisters have come out of depression. I don't even hear Shirone mumbling about the third one anymore. They changed when her master did some magic I'm not familiar with to them. It seems as though my chances to find the older Nekoshou before they come to kill me have dropped to none, so I will be forced to wait for them if I want another subject. Thankfully, I am a very patient man…'"

Saka stared at Sirzechs for a few seconds before he brought his gaze down and towards the journal, opening it again as he flipped the pages before he found the entry Sirzechs just told him.

"… Are there any entries about whether they were a boy or girl?"

"No. He had very little information on this Nekoshou other than how he knew they existed. Though, the one thing he did put was how he feared the third one could have potentially been reincarnated into a Devil and learned magic that they could use against him, but there have been no reports of another Nekoshou becoming a Devil since Shirone. If they have become a Devil, then they've kept their power and existence a secret for years."

"Really?" He asked before closing the journal, looking down at the cover. His thumb brushed up against the cover, knocking off a small bit of dust. He didn't say anything as he held the journal in front of him, towards Sirzechs who looked at it with confusion. "I'm not going to hang onto it, so keep it. I'm probably not going to read it."

"If you say so…" He grabbed the book and put it back into his robe, securing it in a pocket he has on his side. "I am sorry to have called you here."

"It's no problem. The only thing I'm regretting is not knowing what happened to that Ghost…" His sight went to the Ghost again, looking at the former construct. It was then his mind had played a trick on him, the image of his Ghost over the broken one with all the cracks and breaks among the shell and core, the number on the shell.

His hand curled into a fist and tightened at that thought, throwing it out of his mind quickly.

"Before you go, I would like to ask for a favor… and don't worry, I will pay you back however I can should you succeed. I would also like you to keep secret about this, but only disclose the information when it is just you and the Black Cat."

"Ok… go ahead…"

* * *

Chapter 19 finally written and online. It took me long enough since this is the fifth version I wrote. I had made so many revisions and edits, I scrapped a few things, that I almost thought I wouldn't get this chapter done until April. But, I defeated my expectations of... well, myself.

And again, remember I use translate for when someone in my story speaks in a language other than English. If it is wrong and I offend someone, I apologize.

By the way... Gaim is amazing. Definitely one of my favorite seasons of Kamen Rider.

Anyways, next chapter is the Rating Game between Phenex and Gremory, and there might be one more in the Riser arc after that.

But again, sorry it took so long. I'm addicted to Dark Souls. It's fun.

Farewell, and let us meet next time.


	20. Chapter 20

I can't believe I'm saying this again...

The Supernatural Hunter will be put on Hiatus.

I'm struggling to write the current chapter. I'm dealing with the worst case of Writer's Block I've encountered so far. If this keeps up for say, until August, I'm removing the original Chapter 19 since it was pretty bad and more like filler. I'll write in something actually interesting since I'm struggling with writing the Rating Game.

I've also been dealing with schoolwork, and letting some things build up a little too far. The stress has been hitting me hard and I've been lacking in motivation for a lot of things.

I'm sorry to announce this since you were all hoping for chapter 20, but sorry. If you like my work, then don't worry. I've created my second story, the Song of Drive. It's a Kamen Rider Drive X Senki Zesshou Symphogear story. I'm easily able to write chapters for it since i'm still able to focus on it, so it will be my main story until I can get Supernatural Hunter back up to its feet. During this time, I may instead begin rewriting a few chapters to change where it was going. For instance, I may remove or add on to some chapters.

AND I AM GIVING A WARNING: I MAY, JUST MAYBE, REMOVE KEITH AND PUT HIM BACK IN MUCH, MUCH LATER.

It hurts me to say so, but it is called the Supernatural 'Hunter.' Not the Supernatural 'Guardians.'

Once again, I'm sorry.


End file.
